Housepets! Always Save the Day
by fenrirblack18
Summary: The second installment of the Housepets! Fight Against the Forces of Evil series. Two months have passed and the pets are still recovering. A stranger comes to the neighborhood and together are able to bring Lisa back from her infinite prison. Rowan reappears only he is known as Revenant and now the team must stop him from obtaining divine power and plunging the world into chaos.
1. Chapter 1: Empty Space

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 1: Empty Space

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from The Great Kitsune**

**Welcome back. For those of you who don't know me, I am the Great Kitsune. Demigod and celestial being from the Housepets! Comics. I pride myself on my supreme benevolence and whimsical nature. However, recently things have changed. Several months ago, our world was visited by two humans named Lisa Smith and Rowan Gains. They come from a world similar to yours. A world where the antics and adventures of the pets Babylon Gardens are recorded as comics by one Mr. Rick Griffin. Of course, we get nothing from it except fan art and creepy fan fiction. Rowan and Lisa had a rough start when they first came here. Secrets were exposed, and lives were almost ruined. Luckily they fixed their mistakes and earned the friendship of the pets they had adored for so long. In an ideal world or story that would have been the end of it. If you read "Housepets! Fight Against the Forces of Evil," then you would know things did not go smoothly. I don't want to give too much away for those of you who decided to skip book 1 and go straight to Book 2 but there are things you do need to know or if you need a refresher. Lisa and Rowan were hired by Keene Milton to work on a documentary series about the pets in Babylon gardens as part of his ever-evolving scheme to obtains equal rights for animals. Lisa and I, as you mortals say, hooked up. Rowan loved Lisa for years and when he found out began to become unhinged. Due to his own troubled past, plotted to fill the void in his heart by attempting to heal his younger brother's mental health. Meanwhile, Lisa had been plagued by visions of her missing father and by a malevolent entity known as Drasil the Stag. Drasil plotted to escape the prison I trapped him in millennia ago by using King Milton (formally Joel Robinson) to break the seal. He almost succeeded except I led a small team of Pets along with Rowan to face him in Tartarus. Rowan personally unleashed a powerful assault against Drasil, but it was not enough. Lisa showed up at the last moment and turned herself into a goddess to face Drasil on her own. She sacrificed herself to destroy Drasil once and for all. When it was all over, Rowan disappeared after threatening all the pets. I can only assume that he was affected by the battle in ways that have yet to be revealed fully. **

**Somewhere in Southern California **

Rowan stepped forward toward the glittering pool of creamy white water. Of course, it was not water but pure Mana or magic. The most powerful substance in the world or any world. The pool was so large that it filled the room of the temple. Rowan silently noted how this temple was far different from Pete the Gryphons temple. Of course, he had only seen the interior of it from the pages of comics online. By the time he arrived, the temple was in pieces after the mana was drained.

Step by step, Rowan defended the stairs never taking his eyes off the sight in front of him. He knew that if looked away he might decide against what he was about to do. Part of him knew what he was doing was wrong. Unfortunately, That part of him was being crushed by an overwhelming urge and desire for power to reclaim but was taken from him.

He reached up and pressed his had against the left side of his face. The pain faded away months ago, but the scar remained. A significant black scorch mark that surrounded his eye and spread to his ear. For weeks he wore a long cloak and hood to hide his appearance from those who would never understand what he was now. Even he was not entirely sure what he was. He was still human on the outside, but there was something inside him that was clearly not. His eye was proof of that. It was entirely black except for a golden ring like an iris that shined with an unearthly glow. A sign that he was no longer the same person who like reading comics, watching anime, and was secretly in love with his best friend.

Finally, Rowan stepped off the stone staircase and tilted his head up toward the giant stone face glaring at him. On the far wall across the mana pool was the last thing Rowan ever wanted to see again. The head of a deer with long jagged antlers each with a glowing stone embedded in them, so there was three total. The eyes were the most unsettling. Two red jewels glimmered in the fading light of the room. It had the appearance that they were looking right at him, edging Rowan forward. Of course, Drasil's image was all over the temple. When Rowan first arrived, he was greeted by two giant stone monuments of the god. Drasil's temple. Rowan did not know what was completing him forward. All he knew was that he needed to fill the empty void in his chest where his heart once was.

He tried to steady his breathing.

Rowan stood on the edge of the pool. One more step would be all it took. The mana could almost sense his presence. It glowed brighter filling the room with white light. The stone walls responded by humming as the energy surged around the room. The air was filled with a sound that reminded Rowan of Drasil's laughter as if it was mocking him. Rowan the mortal who faced the immortal Drasil along with a ragtag group of pets only to fail to defeat him.

The memory of Drasil's final attack, a giant meteor, coming straight towards them from a hole in space/time. Kitsune using his power to save them but had to lose their opportunity to reseal him. Kitsune planned to sacrifice himself to stop the deer god, but Lisa intervened. Rowan closed his eyes and could still her voice as she said how she loved both him and Kitsune. Then She did the unthinkable by changing into a goddess and destroying Drasil with all her heavenly power. Rowan tried to reach out to her. His hand so close to hers only to be pulled away. She was gone. She left him forever. What was left of him? Just a ghost of what he used to be.

"Lisa. Forgive me," Rowan whispered.

He stepped into the mana. Instantly his body was consumed by the power. It felt like thousands of nuclear explosions were going off in his veins. His blood boiled and yet felt like it was freezing at the same time. Each hair on his body stood up on end ready to shoot off his skin at a moments notice. All these sensations were barely recognizable to Rowan. It was like his brain could not comprehend what was happening to him.

Rowan moved to the center of the pool. The more he walked, the stronger the sensations were becoming. He up looked at Drasil's stone expression and swore it was smiling at him. It told him to give in and accept the power he left behind.

The walls glowed with thousands of tiny lights like stars in the night sky. Constellations appeared overhead. The universe was watching him. Waiting to see what he would become. None of that mattered to Rowan. Lisa was gone. Gone forever. All he wanted was for those responsible to pay for what they had done. Heaven would fall, and Rowan would make sure of it.

Closing his eyes, Rowan leaned backward and fell into the pool. His body sunk into the magical liquid until his entire body was submerged. The last part to disappear was his right arm. He held it out like he was still waiting for someone to take it. No one did. Within seconds, his fingers disappeared under the surface.

There was a loud knocking on the door, King looked up from what he was doing and walked over. The Wolves were gone for the day, so King had the house to himself. He learned long ago not to ask too many questions about what they did besides go to work at their various jobs. Bailey was with the puppies on a playdate. Once again King learned not to ask questions about what Bailey did when he was not around. It was something he learned from his parents. Couples sometimes need space. The problem was that space seemed to be all they had lately. King had become overly protective of his kids since the "incident" two months before. Bailey had to put her foot down and forcibly separate him from his kids so that they could be kids.

He gripped the knob but hesitated as a memory that he tried so hard to forget resurfaced. His heart beat faster in his chest as the thought that just maybe they were there raced through his mind. Their smiling faces and overactive personalities beaming at him as they pummeled him with ridiculous questions about his age. That time he hated the thought of being around them, but now he would give anything to see them again.

King opened the door and standing there on the doorstep was his best friend, Fox. The grey husky smiled at King who did not return it. Fox was wearing his police uniform. He spent most of his time working for the K9PD, so that meant

"Do you want to go for a walk with me?" Fox was wearing his police uniform. He spent most of his time working for the K9PD, so that meant he was usually too busy for things like leisurely walks. King gave him a skeptical look. He trusted Fox more than any other dog. Fox was there for King when no one else was despite their sorted history. Like the time King kidnapped Fox back when he was still human and working for PETA.

"I guess," King said.

Closing the door behind him, King and Fox walked down the street. Babylon Gardens was deserted which was not surprising considering it was the middle of the afternoon. Everyone was either at work or sleeping their lives away. Typically, King would either be reading or be playing with his kids. Neither one of those things seemed possible at the moment.

For five minutes, Fox and King walked around the neighborhood. Neither one spoke. King thought about asking where they were going but decided against it. It was just nice to be outside and feeling the crisp autumn breeze against his fur.

Fox stopped walking abruptly. Finally, he broke the silence, "How are you doing?"

King cringed. Of course, he would ask that, King thought. Who hadn't asked if he was all right over the last few months? They were always the same. Someone would come up to him with this look of absolute pity on their faces. They treated him like a puppy who stumped his toe. He was a grown man in a grown dog's body. He was fine. Sure he was lured into the pits of Tartarus by a malevolent entity and forced to free him from his eternal underworld prison. He discovered that his entire life was all a part of a scheme to conquer the world, but who doesn't have days like that. His only son was taken from him, but he got him back without too much trauma. Nothing a few years of professional therapy won't fix.

"I'm fine. I wish everyone would stop asking me," King said throwing his arms in the air. "It's been two months. I'm over it. Rook doesn't even remember anything about it. Everything is sunshine and rainbows."

Fox looked down at him. There it was. The same look of pity he always got. Thinking about it now, King had gotten that look for years. People always assumed he would fall apart at the slightest inconvenience. He never could fight his own battles because someone else would always step in for him without waiting to see if he even needed it.

"You are a terrible liar. Have I ever told you that?" Fox asked.

"Just all the time."

Fox started walking again. "Bailey told me that you've still been having nightmares."

King rolled his eyes. Of course, she did. They were nightmares as much as unpleasant dreams in which he would thrash around the bed and sometimes howl in his sleep. Nothing he hadn't dealt with since his childhood. However, that was the problem. Since finding out that his childhood kidnapping was an elaborate plot, the nightmares started coming back. It was like he was a little kid again sleeping on the streets as his pet dogs watched him to make sure he didn't run away.

"There just dreams," King said solemnly. "I've learned to deal with them."

"It's not just the nightmares that she's concerned about. It's about them." Fox's voice trailed off.

"Yeah, how are you doing since they left? I know you and Rowan got pretty close."

The memory of Rowan's final words hung in the air between them. The look of pure hatred on his face. The black scar around his eye. King could smell the fear coming from the other pets as Rowan told them that he was going to destroy them all before disappearing in a flash of light.

Fox said nothing in response to King's question. There was nothing to be said.

"Are you going to the Milton's tonight for the preparation?" Fox asked.

King thought back to the e-mail he got a few days before. The Milton ferrets were hosting a party for the neighborhood pets as a show of thanks for their "help" on the documentary series that was airing that evening. "Pets" as it was called. The last thing King wanted to do was go see another attempt at the Milton's grand plan for animal and human equality. To make matters worse, that night's episode was about King.

A few months before Lisa and Rowan showed up at the Lindberg house for an interview with Fox, King, and Bailey. Needless to say, it did not go to well. Lisa kept asking King to tell the world that he was Joel Robinson and that a supernatural superbeing turned him into a corgi. That led to King storming out only to be followed by Lisa who was more than apologetic. Afterward, things got weird. It was a miracle that they were even able to finish the interview at all considering everything that happened.

"I don't know. I want to, but I really don't want to at the same time. It's confusing," King said.

"I think you should go. It would be good for you to see everyone," Fox told him.

"I see everyone almost every day. You act like I haven't left my house in weeks," King said sounding offended.

"I don't mean anything by it. I think that you should be more active. You have to admit that you've been avoiding the pets."

King shook his head. "I haven't been avoiding anyone. I'm just tired of everyone asking if I'm all right or how I'm doing. They treat me like I'm about to break down at any moment."

"Would that be a bad thing?" Fox asked.

Naturally, King overreacted. "What is that supposed to mean!?"

Fox stopped and set down on the sidewalk. He crossed his arms over his knees and stared out into the woods across the road. "Have you ever grieved about Lisa's death?"

King opened his mouth to give Fox a piece of his mind but stopped himself. It was no secret that Lisa had to sacrifice her life to destroy Drasil. It was one of the reasons Rowan reacted the way he did. No one talked about it. Lisa was suddenly a taboo around the neighborhood. It was like everyone pretended that they never existed. Two months and not a word.

King swallowed visibly. "No, I haven't." He set down next to Fox. "I don't want to admit that they're gone." The words stung in his throat as he spoke them. It was like admitting he was giving up on ever seeing them again. Admitting that despite the trouble they caused he had grown to care about the two. That was something he could not do.

Fox took a deep breath. "Come to the party. The episode airs on Discovery at 9:00 and the party starts at 7:00 according to the invitation."

He stood up and glanced one last time at King. King looked away not wanting to make eye contact. His chest was burning, but he was not sure if it was because of anger or sadness. Fox turned and walked down the road leaving King alone again. Suddenly he felt very cold.

Later that night, King and Bailey took the puppies to Milton Manor. By the time they got there, it was after 7:00. All the lights were on as they walked up to the front door. Before they could knock the door flew open and standing in the threshold was the Milton's butler, Jeeves.

He stood there wearing his usual uniform and an expression that always made King think about the butler from Clue. He secretly wondered how long it would be before someone found the ferret's bodies floating in a river somewhere.

"Mr. King and Mrs. Bailey," Jeeves said. "We've been expecting you."

"Well, we would have been here sooner, but you know how it is with kids," Bailey said. As she spoke, Olive squirmed and wiggled in her arms, trying to get loose to unleash mayhem inside the mansion.

"Yes, I am… quite aware," Jeeves said. King could not help notice how the butler's body tensed up as he spoke.

"Jeeves!" someone yelled from inside the mansion. One the of the ferrets, King thought only he was not sure which one. "I need some help here. Duke ate some of the fake fruit again!"

"Right away, suh," Jeeves muttered under his breath. To King and Bailey, he said, "Everyone has gathered in the dining hall for dinner then will move to the theater for the showing."

Jeeves gestured them inside before disappearing to handle whatever mess Duke made. King had been inside the mansion enough times to know his way around. He led his family down the various halls until finally entering the dining room. The table was covered with plates of food. They had everything from movie-themed snacks like popcorn and caramel candies to things like smoked salmon and caviar.

King dropped Rook on the floor, and he took off like a rocket. His siblings followed right behind as not to lose to him. It was hard for King not to immediately run after them and scold them for running in the house. His parents would have read him the riot act for doing something like that at the parties they took him too.

Scanning the room, King counted off all the pets that showed up. Peanut and Grape were talking to Tarot and Sabrina. Peanut was struggling with a mouth full of actual peanut butter while Grape pretended not to notice Max was in the corner chatting with Kevin. Fido was with Bino and Joey. Bino was gesturing wilding while his brothers looked on with a mix of concern and embarrassment. Spo and Squeak were both watching with amusement on their faces. Several other pets mingled around, deep in conversations about whatever it was that talked about. Despite King's nine years as a dog he never quite grasped dog conversations. He did not know if it was a generational thing or a species barrier he never could cross.

"There you are," Fox called. He walked over and hugged Bailey before turning his attention to King. "I thought you weren't showing up. I figured I would have to come to drag you here myself."

"There's no need for that. We were running a little late," King told him.

"Do you both want some food?" Fox asked pointed at the table. "They have burgers, hot dogs, even some strange stuff called Plumpples."

"Plumpples?" King asked.

"I don't know if it's like a drink or smoothie." Fox shuddered. "No one has been brave enough to try it yet."

"I think I'll just have some water," Bailey said before walking to the table.

"Got any orange soda?" King asked. Despite the fact he could never get through an entire can without taking off his collar and making a fool of himself, he decided he was going to need a drink to get through the night.

"Sure, they're this way."

Drink and food in hand, King, and Fox started to mingle with the other pets. Their first stop was with Peanut's group.

"This is so exciting," Peanut said. "I can't wait until it's our turn. I've never been on TV before."

"I don't want to see it. If you ask me that interview was more trouble than it was worth," Grape said with her arms crossed.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad," Peanut said trying to reassure her.  
"Yeah, it was. Don't you remember how they kept asking me about my relationship with Res? I mean that was my personal business." Grape began blushing.

"Isn't the last _Pridelands_ due out soon?" Sabrina asked.

"Yeah, it is. I can't wait for it. However, have you guys read that other series?" Peanut asked getting excited. "I mean _Pridelands_ is awesome and everything, but it's only about cats."

"What's wrong with that?" Grape said as her eyes narrowed threateningly.

"Nothing," Peanut said carefully. He took a slight step to the right. "I mean it could be a little more universal."

"What's this other series?" King asked trying to stave off any violence that was about to unfold.  
"The _White Fox_ series," Peanut told him getting excited.

"I heard about that," Fox said. "It's supposed to be the next big series. I've heard some of the other dogs talking about it, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet."

"It's so awesome. It's about this mysterious fox wander who ventures into this kingdom where all the animals are enslaved, and he uses imagination to inspire them to rise against the humans."

"I hope there's more to it than that," King said feeling uncomfortable.

"I mean it's not like all the humans are bad. He works with this one human named Eliana to stop a conspiracy lurking within the ranks of the royal army. Then there are all these other things in the story like dragons and magic and mystical creatures."  
"How is that any different from our own lives?" Sabrina asked. "That sounds like exactly the kinds of things we deal with all time."

"I guess I never thought about it like that," Peanut said softly. "I mean there this other thing. I didn't want to spoil it for you guys. It turns out that the fox, Todd, was a human \ who changes into a fox whenever he travels there from another world..."

Everyone looked uncomfortable. King raised his soda to his lips and sucked greedily from the opening. Anything to wash away the awkwardness that was spiraling around him.

"Oh, I forgot," Peanut said.

"Let's go see what Maxie is up too," Grape said. She grabbed Peanut's arm and pulled him away from the group. Sabrina and Tarot excused themselves leaving Fox and King by themselves.

King examined the empty soda can in his paw. He could feel the buzz growing in his head, but it was not enough to wipe away the memories or the feelings of dread that was clawing at his stomach. "You want to get some food," he asked Fox.

"Yes, more than anything."

They both walked back to the table and mounds of different snacks on their plates. They both stopped at the section with the sign that read "Plumpples." There were dozens of tall glasses filled with a fizzy substance that reminded King of a strawberry smoothie only it was a mixture of purple and hot pink with crushed berries floating around as if they were trying to escape the drink.

A smile was spreading across Fox's face. He opened his mouth like he was about to dare King to drink one. "Nope," King said and moved away before Fox had the chance to speak.

They moved to the far wall of the room and slumped against the hard surface. King picked up a large piece of peanut brittle and chewed it slowly. It was good but he was never a fan of peanut brittle so why did he get it.

"Mungo?" Fox asked suddenly.

King looked up to see a large, very muscular dog heading towards them. He had a wide grin on his face like he just heard the best joke in the world. He waved at Fox as he moved to them.  
"What are you doing here?" Fox asked. "Not that I'm not happy to see you. I didn't know you were interviewed for the show."

"Oh, I wasn't. I just came because it's your big night. I wouldn't miss it for anything." Mungo turned his attention to King. At once his face changed from excitement to pity. "How are you doing?"

King could see Fox gesturing for Mungo to stop from the corner of his eye but said nothing. Steeling himself, King said, "I'm doing fine. I'm excited about the premiere."

"That's good to here," Mungo said. King could hear the sympathy in his voice which made his skin crawl. "You know if you need anything, I am a certified therapy dog."

"Mungo!" Fox said abruptly. "Can you do me a big favor and go get me one of those Plummples from the table. I've been eyeing them all night."

"Sure," he said. His tail began wagging wildly. He glanced once last time at King before taking off.

King looked at the plate of food in his hands. Suddenly he did not have much of an appetite.

"I'm sorry about that," Fox whispered dryly. "He means well, but he has problems understanding personal space and self-control."

"I knew I was not going to get through the night without at least one pet asking me how I'm doing." He gripped the plate tighter in his hands like he was trying to break it. Giving up, King walked away from Fox before Mungo returned with the drink. He dumped his food in the garbage and decided to find Bailey. She was busy talking with the wolves. He thought about going over to see what they were talking about but decided against it. Bailey looked like she was deep in conversation and King's presence would only interrupt her.

The rest of the evening was spent trying to avoid any pet who seemed like a threat to King's delicate piece of mind. More than once a pet caught his eye and started moving towards him with that same look of pity. Moving fast, King dodged and hid out of sight, thankful for his small size. The puppies were busy playing with Duke who seemed to get along better with them than the full-grown pets.

Finally, it was time to move into the theater. Everyone took their seats, snacks, and drinks in hand. There were even specially reserved seats for the ferrets along with Breel, King, Bailey, and Fox. The guests of honor, King assumed. He set down followed by Bailey and Fox on both sides of him. The rest of the pets filed in taking up almost all the spaces in the theater. King did not realize just how many pets were invited to the party. "The Great Gatsby" which he had to read in high school sprung in his mind, and he wondered how many were actually invited and how many just showed up out of nowhere.

Rock stepped in front of the screen. He wore his usual director's hat and even had on a suit and tie for the occasion. He cleared his throat and spoke, "Ladies and Gentleman. On behalf of myself, my siblings, and everyone who has been a part of the Equal Chance Program I would like to thank you for joining us for this special event. This is only another step forward for animal rights. Now in just a few minutes the first episode of our miniseries, "Pets!" will air on the Discovery Channel. Before that happens, I want to be the first to tell you that the show has been picked up for a second season."

The room was filled with applause. It was not wild applause like the show was nominated for an Oscar or anything, but it was something. King clapped along halfheartedly with the others.

"Now before we begin, does anyone have any questions?"

"I have one," someone shouted from the back. "How is it a miniseries if it has a second season?"

"It's a mini-series in the sense that it is only six episodes per season. Technically it is a documentary series. I don't know who started calling it a mini-series. Now if there are no more questions…"

Rock was interrupted by another voice asking, "Who's goin' to be in the next season?

"We don't know yet. All I know is that we will start filming soon–"

Another voice, female this time asked, "Can there be an episode of the upcoming dog pageant. That is sure to get high ratings."

King recognized the voice as Duchess and slumped in his chair. Rock was starting to get irritated. "I do not know what the next season will entail. Now we are out of time so NO MORE QUESTIONS!"

The lights dimmed as the screen turned on. The room was filled with excited whispering. King was sure that several of the pets assumed that they would appear at least once during the episode. He remembered seeing Rock with his camera crew filming the neighborhood during random times months before.

A voice came over the speakers. "Next up on Discovery Channel. The premiere of "Pets!" brought to you by Plummples by the makers of Strawpearies. You didn't ask us, but we made it anyway. There was a collective "OHHH," from behind King.

The screen changed this time showing the "Pets!" logo. King recognized the style of that of the title of the comics that Rowan would show everyone every chance he got. It was no secret that Rock stole the design as some type of residual for the comics taking their stories without their consent or permission. The theme song began playing. On the screen, they appeared.

The room became dead silent except for the music. No one moved or spoke as Lisa and Rowan's images appeared over and over on the screen along with their names. They smiled at the camera like they were looking right at the pets. Images of other pets and scenes from the neighborhood flashed across the screen, but the damage was done.

"Episode 1," the narrator said.

"Hey there, welcome to the show. I'm Lisa Smith, and this is Rowan Gains. Today we are interview three extraordinary guests," Lisa said. It was just like King remembered. "I want to say before we begin how honored we are to be speaking to you. We have been big fans of yours for years. To be here right now with you…is just the best thing ever."

King felt movement next to him. He tore his eyes away from the screen to look at Bailey. She was wiping her nose with a napkin as tears rolled down her face. She was visibly shaking although she was trying to hide it. Fox was not doing much better. King noticed he was looking away from the screen entirely. His jaw was tight as he gripped with armrests. His claws were digging into the soft fabric.

Behind King other pets were trying to hold back their emotions as the show continued. He could see Grape crying into Peanuts shoulder as he comforted her. He looked like he was holding back tears too. Tarot and Sabrina were whispering to each other, both looking distressed. Max just looked angry, but at what King was not sure. Even Bino looked upset at what he was seeing. Turning his attention to the ferrets, King could see they were upset too. Lana was wiping her eyes. Duke was on the verge of falling to pieces while Keene was fighting being comforted by Breel. Rock looked uncomfortable like he suddenly regretted inviting all the pets to the premiere.

"I have a question for King," Lisa asked on the screen. King turned his attention back to the show. Lisa's eyes sparkled with amusement and warmth. "How is it being married to Bailey? You are the first pets in this state to be legally married. Tell us about that."

That was it. King slid off his chair and ran out of the room ignoring the puzzled look of the pets as he ran by. Energy raced through his body as he flew down the halls. He did not have a destination in mind, but he couldn't stay there any longer. A door came into view, and King ran into it without a second thought. He was suddenly standing in a bathroom. Marble sinks with golden faucets lined the wall. A sizeable shining mirror hung over them. Hanging on the other wall was an assortment of hand towels embroiled with _M. _

Tears poured from his eyes as King ran over to the sinks. He turned on the cold knob and begun splashing water in his face. Gripping the sink, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He got over his aversion to mirrors years ago but seeing himself right then he felt more vulnerable than he had in a long time. It was like looking at a stranger. The tension drained out of his body as he sank to the floor. He drew his knees under his chin and began sobbing right there.

He could hear their voices echoing in his head, _"Oh my, God. It's him! It's really him. We are such big fans of yours. We love you so much," Lisa squealed. _

"_Do you prefer that we call you King or can we call you Joel. I always liked Joel better than King. I don't know why he changed it. I mean I know but still," Rowan waved his hands in the air as if to emphasize what he was talking about. _

_"Can I get your picture," Lisa said. "Oh, man. I have so many questions," Lisa began but was interrupted by Rowan._

"_We have so many questions. Like what it is like being married? Wait no that was not it. What was it like when you beat Pete at his own game?_

_Lisa interjected and asked, "Can we see your puppies?" She shouted. "Bailey, are you there? Ace, Olive, Rook?" _

_Rowan pulled her back and said, "Don't be rude." Then to King, we said, "You really are just as short as they say. Can I pet your head? When did your collar buckle change to a square from a circle? Hey, how does it feel when people treat you like a dog even though you were once human? Do any humans even know about that? Does Bill know that you're the same guy who kidnapped his dog nine years ago?"_

_"OH MY GOD; he slammed the door in our faces just like he did to Tarot!" Followed by another round of incoherent squealing. _

King's memories were interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open. He looked up to see Fox standing there. With a sad smile on his face, he walked over and sat down next to King on the floor.

"I tried. I wanted to." King said softly. "I wanted to hate them. After everything they did but how could I. I don't want to miss them, but I do."

King leaned over and rested his head on Fox's shoulder. He cried for what seemed like hours. Fox slid his hands down King's back, trying to consul him. King could not stop shaking or crying. He hated himself for missing them. He hated them for leaving. He had lost so much in his life and losing Rowan and Lisa was just another thing to add to an ever-growing list.

After a few minutes, Bailey walked in and saw them both together. She moved over and sat on the other side of King. She slumped against his shoulder as she relaxed. Wrapping her arms around King, she said, "It's okay. I miss them too. We all miss them."

Her face was close to his. King could see the dim glow of her eyes and the plaster fur on her face from her tears. She was warm against his body which helped him feel better. She squeezed tighter as she reached out and took Fox's paws in hers.

"It's not right that no one talks about it," King told them. "Everyone acts like they never existed, but they did. They don't deserve to be forgotten."

"Dogs don't grieve the same way humans do," Fox said solemnly. "We bounce back. We move on. Humans come and go." Even as he said it, he did not believe what he was saying.

"It's not right. I don't want to be a dog if it means we forget about the people we care about," King said bitterly.  
"We don't forget them. They will always have a place in our hearts and our memories," Bailey told him. She tilted her head and kissed King's scalp. King closed his eyes and prayed no one else came in and saw them like that. It was already humiliating enough as is without twenty pets putting this up online.

Once they broke apart, they each laid against the tacky wallpaper covered walls without speaking. King checked the time on his phone. 9:49 p.m. The show was almost over. They had missed the entire premiere of the episode that was about them. He didn't care about that. King did not want to be a part of it anyway. Keene threatened him to get his participation.

"Have you heard from the Kitsune?" Fox asked Bailey.

She shook her head, "The statue is still there, but he won't talk to us. I don't know where he is or what's he's been doing over the last few months. Lisa was his girlfriend, so I don't want to imagine what he's been through."

"Knowing him, nothing good," King muttered.

The stars shined brightly as Kitsune walked down the long velvet lined hallway towards the Bahamut. The hall changed depending on the atmosphere of Earth. Sometimes it was bright and sunny with a view of the gardens while other times it was dark and ominous. This time it was somewhere in between. The tall white columns were still the same.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Cerberus asked.

Kitsune stopped. His nine tails flicked in frustration. "I don't know what else to do. I can't find her anywhere. She's not here or on Earth. I can't go on not knowing. If she's in Pandemonium, then…"

"I can talk with my contacts in Pandemonium again, but I doubt they would know anything different. Charon and Thanatos both say they did not see her after the battle with Drasil."

"He is the only one left who may know," Kitsune said. "If there is a small chance that she's out there. Then I owe it to her to find her and bring her home." He balled his fingers into a fist and shook his arm in frustration.

The last two months (mortal time) had been hard for him. Rowan disappeared to another dimension and Lisa was dead. At first, he thought that Lisa ended up in heaven since she was still mortal even after dawning the tiara and gaining celestial power. Or at least that is what he thought. When she was not there in heaven, he figured the worse had happened. He asked Cerberus to talk to her friends Charon and Thanatos to see if they picked up Lisa's soul. They both said that they did not see her. He even went back to Tartarus himself to find out if she was still there. Nothing. Not even the lingering remains of her essence. Drasil's remnants were still there, and they would remain there for eternity. No force of heaven or otherwise could resurrect a fallen god. Bahamut was his only option left. Even though Kitsune was omniscient, his power had limits. Bahamut did not have those same limits. His sight went beyond those of the other celestials. Kitsune had avoided speaking to Bahamut since he avoided telling him about Drasil in the first place. The fact that Drasil came so close to breaking free was his fault. Lisa's death was his fault.

Kitsune raised his paw to his cheek. He could still feel the place where she kissed him. She told him that she loved him. Then she proved it by giving her life to defeat Drasil so he wouldn't have to himself. She saved his life and the lives of countless others.

He could still see the look on her face when he smiled at her. The way her cheeks turned red as she tried to hide her feelings from him. He never told her how he felt about her, not really. She was different from other mortals he met. He knew that the instant he saw her.

_"It's him," Lisa screeched. She grabbed Rowan's shoulder and began rocking him violently. Rowan was too engrossed to notice or care._

_"I see I have some fans too," Kitsune said with a sly smile. His red eyes glowed with delight. He wore his purple jacket and black shirt. All nine tails were out and waved around. _

_Lisa jumped up and almost tackled him. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Rowan followed suit. He rummaged through his bag like he was trying to find a pen. _

_ "We are your biggest fans. I love you more than anything else," Lisa told him. Tears were pouring from her eyes. "Rowan even has a huge man crush on you." _

_Rowan gaped at her as if he had just been slapped. "Don't. Don't tell him that." _

_"Can you help us? There are so many more pets we want to meet. Not to mention we haven't gotten a single autograph. We still haven't met Maxwell, Fido, Res. Speaking of which, is he back in Canada yet?" _

_"Fine," Lisa said looking sullen. "But before go," she looked at him with a puppy dog face. "Can you do the smile. The one with the teeth. Show him, Rowan." She elbowed his side._

_ "My heart melts every time," Lisa said after he smiled at her. _

"Kitsune, are you okay?" Cerberus asked. All three heads were full of concern as she waved her paw in front of his face.

"I have to do this. No matter what he says. I owe it to her," Kitsune said with resolve.

He walked toward the glowing white door that seemed to lead nowhere. On the other side, everything was different. The sky was filled with swirling galaxies and the essence of the cosmos itself. For a mortal, this would have been overwhelming, but for Kitsune it was just another day in heaven. He walked up the long purple staircase that led to the landing. Hovering at the far end was the Bahamut. An enormous blue whale that legends say hold up the world itself. As usual, Bahamut had a wide grin spread on his face as he watched Kitsune walk over.

"Beloved Kitsune," Bahamut bellowed. "What can I do for you this day?"

"You know exactly what I want. You're omniscient just like the rest of us so why ask?" Kitsune crossed his arms clearly not in the mood for these games.

Bahamut blinked slowly as his smiled faded. "You are not your usual whimsical and free-spirited self. That is your greatest quality. You must not forget who you are in times of crisis."

"Sorry, but my whimsy and free spirit died along with my girlfriend," Kitsune snapped.

"You care so deeply for the mortal. More than you have for anyone else. Was she truly that special that you would come here and face me knowing the mistakes you have made?"

"I don't care about what happens to me. I want her back. You know the rules. She deserves a second chance after what she did. She saved us all from Drasil. You must have the power to return her to the mortal world."

"And yet I cannot," Bahamut murmured. "She knew the costs of her actions, noble as they were. She ascended to divinity and gave herself to ensure Drasil's end. You must deal with the consequences as much as she."

"That's not right, and you know it. She was not a real goddess. The power she obtained was that of Tartarus. Even if it was enough to destroy Drasil that does not mean that she should lose her life as well. Her soul was still mortal. She would have ascended into heaven," Kitsune shouted angrily.

"I cannot help you, beloved." Bahamut moved closer to Kitsune. So close Kitsune could see his reflection staring back at him from the whale's eye. "Lisa simply does not exist."

"What?" Kitsune asked. He took a step backward. "What does that mean? She exists. She was real, and her actions were real and significant."

"She existed, correct," Bahamut said moving away again. He blinked at Kitsune. "She does not exist anymore. She is beyond even my sight. If you truly believe that she is out there somewhere then only you can find her."

Kitsune shook in rage. He did not have high hopes for Bahamut's assistance but to tell him that Lisa does not exist was beyond infuriating. "I know she is out there. Our feelings are connected. I will find her."

Kitsune turned around and headed toward the stairs. Before he reached the staircase thought, Bahamut called out to him. "If you truly believe in your feelings for her then heed this advice at least."

Kitsune paused and faced Bahamut. "There is more power in the lives and imagination of mortals than all of heaven. A mortal's heart is the most powerful of all."

Kitsune gave him a skeptical look like he was not sure what Bahamut was trying to tell him. "What are you saying?"

"Omniscience does have its limits. A great threat is awakening on Earth as we speak. I can sense it coming. You will be tested unlike ever before as both heaven and Earth are placed in his path of destruction."

"His?" Kitsune asked looking at him worriedly. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "You don't mean…"

"The only way to prevent the oncoming chaos is to find her. She is the only one who can save him and the world. She is the light of his darkness."

There was nothing. Emptiness and vastness as far as she could see. Lisa stood in the middle of nowhere. Only she was not sure if she was standing. There was no surface under her feet as she could tell. She stepped forward and found herself walking on something hard. If she looked down, she would see nothing but empty space below her. The same above her.

How long had she been there? Days, months, years, an eternity. That is what it felt like. There were times when she struggled to remember who she was. What was she doing there? What had happened to her?

Lisa spun around in a circle. There was so much nothing that it was hard to process. How could there be nothing but white space around her? Was this oblivion? What was oblivion?

Tears rolled from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her chest. She collapsed to the ground and sat there on her knees. Her long blonde hair fell in her face. It was good to see something in her line of vision. Anything was better than nothing.

"Kitsune," Lisa whispered. "Rowan."

"Kitsune," Lisa said louder. "Rowan. Where are you?"

"Kitsune!" Lisa screamed at the top of her lungs.

She closed her eyes and cried out letting the tears flow freely down her face. "ROWAN!"

She looked around again. This time there was something. A small black speck in the distance. It was so far that it was impossible to tell who or what it was. She stared at it like it might just be a trick of her mind.

"HELP ME!" She took a deep breath and screamed again. "ROWAN!"

Nick woke up from the nightmare just like he always did. His entire body felt hot and burned like someone had just set his fur on fire. He blinked the sleep away as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of his bedroom. The clock beside his bed read 5:30 a.m. It was too early to get up, but part of him knew that he was not going back to sleep after that.

Running a claw through his long thick black fur, he thought about the dream. It was the same one he had for the last two months. Was this a new part of the curse? He was already a wolf what more could the universe do to him.

The other nights, Nick would just go the bathroom while trying to avoid waking Cody who was sound asleep on the couch in his living room. Then he would crawl back into bed and go back to sleep. Why was this night different? That was easy. This was the first time Nick saw the girl up close. He had never seen her before in his life so why was he dreaming about her? She was crying and calling for help.

"Who the howl is Rowan? And what's a Kitsune?" Nick asked out loud. He waited for a response from the universe, but as usual, none came.


	2. Chapter 2: The Writer

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 2: The Writer

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from Nick Powell **

**Growing up I was an avid reader, I read books about far off places and stories about heroes overcoming great odds. They always saved the day, and I longed to be one of them. All I ever wanted was to be an author and share my stories with the world. Over a year ago that dream came true. I wrote a book called "White Fox," and it became a huge hit. That was no small part to my fiancé, Rebecca Goulding, who also happens to be a literary agent. I gave her my book, and she loved it. Two years later it was published and was an overnight bestseller. You might think to yourself, "Wow this guy sure has it made." Sure, my life may seem great on paper, but that is because you don't know the real me. The real me is actually a five-foot-tall wolf with thick dark gray fur and has to live in his parent's cabin in the woods along with a cougar who won't leave. My life isn't so great after all. Let me explain my situation. I was not always a wolf. Four years ago, I was human. I just got engaged to Becky and was hiking in the forest. I came across this spring in the middle of winter. Only there was no snow anywhere, and it was unseasonably warm. A normal person would question why something like this existed because it did not seem possible. Not me. I wanted to get a closer look. As I moved towards the water, this goat-man (satyr I think they're called) appeared on the shore. He warned me that no human can touch the water for it was sacred or something. "Hmph," I said. No one told Nick Powell what to do especially not figments of my imagination. Long story short I was changed into a wolf as punishment. After that I lived in my parent's cabin, too scared to show my face among people again. Becky stood by my side despite my appearance and in my free time (I had a lot of it now) I wrote the first book of the series. But that is enough about my backstory at the moment. Lately, I've been having these dreams. I don't know what they mean, but they are getting more and more vivid. Imagine nothing. Nothing but an empty white void. There in the distance is a girl. She can't be more than eighteen or nineteen. She keeps screaming for someone to help her. I want to do something but every time I try to get close, I wake up. I can still hear her calling for someone named Rowan to save her. Whoever that guy was?**

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Nick groaned and reached out towards the alarm clock that was blaring in his ear. It took several swipes with his massive paw, but he finally was able to hit the snooze button. Without wasting a moment, he covered his head with the sheets and tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, a stinging sensation in his bladder made sleep an impossibility at the moment. He tossed the sheets and blankets off his body and slowly rolled to the edge of the bed. His head hurt again. That was normal for him. When you were constantly plagued by nightmares for the past two months, headaches were your consolation prize. As he stretched his large hairy limbs, Nick's ears perked up. He could hear Cody moving around the kitchen. He was up early, Nick thought.

He shifted his gaze to the clock on the other side of the bed. 8:01 a.m. How he hated having to set his alarm clock. It was not like he had a job or anywhere to be. Experience had taught him that if he did not force himself to get up and get moving each day, then he would never get anything done. Not like he was getting much done anyway.

Nick scanned the bedroom. The first rays of the sun streamed through the window despite the blackout curtains he bought online. The room was the same one he slept in when he came there with his parents growing up. Since he moved in fulltime, he had to change some things to give it a more grown-up professional appearance. There was large five-shelve bookcase stuffed with books on writing, editing, literature, and even a few leftover textbooks from his college days. A dresser stood across from the bed. On it was pictures of him, Becky, and his parents. All of them were several years old. Since the curse, he avoided cameras at all costs. The bed looked like it was something out of an issue of "Cabins Monthly" with a wooden frame designed to resemble cut tree limbs as if someone made it with their own two hands. The comforter was a quilted pattern with images of animals on it from moose to wolves. As a boy, Nick loved it. Now it was more like a sick joke. The rest of the room was bare except for the bedside table and a closet full of clothes that couldn't fit over Nick's hairy body.

Nick wandered into the only bathroom in the cabin and shut the door behind him. For some reason, Cody was fascinated by the hygiene habits of humans. The idea of "brushing" one's teeth was a foreign otherworldly concept to ferals. Nick had, and things live cavities to him. Despite many attempts, Cody still did not understand.

He stood in front of the mirror and examined his appearance. He was naked except for the long black sleep pants he wore. Although you couldn't tell since they blended with his fur so well. Clothes were one thing he could not let go of. Cody told him he was ridiculous, but Nick did not care. He would wear pants until he died.

His dark green eyes were the same as they were when he was human. He read that the eyes were the sign of a person's humanity and when it came to things like magical transformation, it was the eyes that were the most important thing. If they changed then a part of you was lost forever. Other's disagreed with that idea, but as far as Nick was concerned, his eyes were all that remained of the man he was.

He opened and closed his jaw examining each of his razor-sharp fangs. Once he tried hunting and found he was really good at it. Animal instincts took over, and before he knew it, he was tearing the entrails out of a fawn with his claws. His teeth dripped with blood as he stared in horror at what he had become. Needless to say, that was the first and last time he did any kind of hunting. He would stick to getting food from the grocery store like everyone else.

Nick glanced down at his chest. The only perks of being a wolf were the abs and muscles that came with the body. His entire life he had been a bit overweight but one magical change made him, for lack of a better word, hot. That was what Becky told him when she first saw him after the curse. Of course, she had to get over the initial shock. Then she said to him that he looked "hot" like the Beast from "Beauty and the Beast." Nick told her that she missed the point of that movie but went with it. That was one of the things he loved about her. She could always just roll with whatever life threw at her. It was what made her so good at her job.

Grabbing his toothbrush Nick got to business. Five minutes later he walked out with the toilet still running behind him. He stepped into the den and saw the TV on with Cody laying on the couch with a bowl of cereal on his lap. He lifted the remote and flipped through the channels like his life depended on finding something to watch that very minute.

Without looking at him, Cody said, "We're out of milk." He finally stopped on the ORC channel and started watching reruns of "Frasier."

"We just got some the other day," Nick protested as he moved to the fridge. He opened the door, and sure enough, it was utterly void of milk. He slammed it shut and moved away from the counter. The box of Honey Hives was still sitting there wide open from when Cody helped himself.

"You mean I got some the other day. I do all the grocery shopping around here," he said with a mouthful of cereal. Nick watched as drops of milk, saliva, and chewed up bits of cereal rained down on the coffee table.

"You also do most of the eating around here," Nick responded. He couldn't be mad. Well, he could, but the cougar had a point.

Nick met Cody only a few months after living in the cabin full time. Cody accused Nick of hunting in his territory even though Nick was just out on a nature walk. After a long awkward conversation full of arguing and threats of violence, Nick invited Cody back to the cabin to prove that one, he was not a threat, and two he was not even a real wolf. For the next few years, Cody would come and go from the cabin claiming to be wild and therefore did not need such lavish human amenities. A little over a year ago, Cody moved in and began sleeping in the master bedroom. At first, Nick was uncomfortable having a wild animal living with him but being alone in the woods got lonely. His parents lived in Chicago where he grew up. He rarely saw them after graduating college and after the curse never saw them. Most he got was a phone call or a Christmas card and birthday card. Becky was busy with work and only stopped by when he was free. It was a three-hour drive from the cabin to Chicago so…

Cody did have his uses. Nick grew up hearing stories about how dangerous feral wolves were. If anyone saw him, even with clothes, they would only go screaming into their houses while animal control would track him down. The last thing he wanted was to be transported to Yellowstone or something. That would be a fun phone call to his parents. So, Cody would go into town and buy anything that couldn't be ordered online. The closest town was called Swallow Falls. The bird kind not the "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" kind. Never mention that book or movie while in town. Living so close to nature for so long, the townsfolk learned to deal with ferals that would come in. All Cody would have to do was put on a collar and go to the store. There was a convenience store in town run by an elderly man named Mr. Grant. The store was well known in these parts because of the policy Mr. Grant had and was displayed on more than one sign throughout the store. It read "It does not matter who or what you are. Why you are there. What you look like or what you believe in. I will take your money." Not the most poetic phrase but worked for the business. As long as you had money to spend you were welcome in Mr. Grant's store. Ferals included.

Everyone in town knew who Cody was and even grew to love him. For some reason, they had issues with wolves though. Add that to the list of cosmic irony that plagued Nick's existence. He had to be turned into the one animal that couldn't show his face in town.

"You know you have to go get some more," Nick said. He moved closer to the couch to make sure Cody couldn't ignore him. "How did we even run out so fast. It was a full gallon, and I only have some for breakfast." Nick walked around the couch, so he now stood between Cody and the television.

Cody tilted his head to look at him. He was a regular cougar with tan fur, long tail, and a cat. "I'm a cat," he said placing his paw on his chest. "We like drinking milk. Don't you ever watch cartoons?"

"That's a cliché and not even accurate. Studies have proven that milk is bad for cats. Plus, you didn't even know what a cartoon was until you met me," Nick said exasperatedly.

"Well, this cat likes milk and cartoons." He held up his paws in surrender. "If it makes you feel better then I'll go get some more. Now in the meantime can you explain what a by-cycle is and why this man is repeating using it to attack that tree?"

Nick set down on the couch and tried to explain the principles of "Frasier" to a wild animal.

Once the episode ended, Cody had no choice but to head into town to get groceries. Nick decided not to tell him that he could easily order more cereal online and have it arrive in two days. This was a lesson that Cody needed to learn. At times like these, Nick wondered if Cody was more of a pet than a roommate.

With the cabin empty for at least an hour, Nick begrudgingly wandered over to his laptop still sitting on his desk where he left it the night before. He opened the lid, and the screen lit up revealing the thing Nick dreaded seeing. His word document for the second "White Fox" book. Since he started working on it, over six months ago, he had successfully written 109 pages of carp (Cody had been teaching Nick how ferals curse). He hated everything he had written so far. Since the last book ended the main character was supposed to help his partner uncover the secret of a mysterious figure that had been causing trouble in the kingdom. So far the publisher was happy with his work, but he wasn't. Part of Nick wanted to toss the entire story and start over again with a new plot, but he knew that was impossible at this point. He had to salvage what was written already and venture ahead.

After a few taps on the keys with his claws, a sound tore through the silence of the cabin. Nick recognized it as "A New Day Has Come" by Celine Dion aka Becky's favorite song and her ringtone. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he picked up the phone and pushed the answer button. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself for what was about to happen.

"Hello," Nick said trying to keep calm.

"Hey there. I'm calling to see how you are doing as a loving and caring fiancé," Becky said in her sweetened voice.

Nick began to relax a little. "Aw, that's nice."

Becky spoke again before Nick could continue. "And as your agent, I'm calling to see where the heck are those chapters. You know the ones that were due TWO WEEKS AGO!"

Nick had to pull the phone away from his ear. One thing he hated about being a wolf was the enhanced sense of hearing. Stuff like alarms, music, and general loud noises made his ears feel like they are being split in two. Becky was no exception. She sounded like a banshee when she yelled in his ear. He knew better than to tell her that.

Tensing himself, Nick brought the phone back to his ear while Becky continued to scream at him on the other end. "I've made up every possible excuse I can to get them off my and _your_ back. But they are getting impatient. They need this book, Nick."

Nick knew she was right. The publishing company Nick signed too was called Milton Books, a subsidiary of Milton Industries, and was a tiny publishing company. Nick was so excited that someone signed him that he did not bother to do any research into them at the time. Later he would discover that the entire company is run by ferrets or some other kind of weasel. That and they had never had a bestseller in the four years they had been business before Nick came along. Nick was the reason the company was still running at this point. In all honesty, they needed him more than he needed them. Unfortunately, the contract he signed was iron clad until he finished the third book, so they were stuck together for better or worse.

"I know, but I'm doing my best," Nick lied. "I'm almost done with the last chapter. Once I'm finished, I'll e-mail it to you so you can have something to show the editor. That way they'll be satisfied for the moment and leave you and respectively me alone." In his head, he said, _until they read it and discover that its garbage._

Becky sighed on the other end. "Nick, don't lie to me." Nick cringed. "I know that you've been having writers block these past few months. Remember I've been doing this long before we've been dating. I know that writing is hard because of the…you know what." Becky always tried to avoid mentioning the curse. It was one of several different coping methods she had used over the years in an attempt to fool herself into thinking that their relationship was normal. "As your girlfriend, I want to be supportive and tell you that you'll get it done when you're ready. But as your agent, I want to be supportive but tell you that you have to finish it immediately."

"I don't know what I'm doing," Nick finally confessed. He noted that Becky called herself his girlfriend and not fiancé. She only did that when she was really angry with him. "The plot is nothing but a jumble of loose ends and clichés. The characters are going nowhere as far as development." Nick placed his elbows on the desk and cradled his head in his paw while the other held the phone to his ear.

"Now you call and remind me that the agency is on my tail waiting for the next set of chapters. I can't work under this pressure."

"Nick, please understand that this is not unusual. Authors go through this kind of thing all the time. I've seen hundreds of times. You have to keep working on it. Even if you have to pull out a notebook and start jotting notes down only to ball it up immediately and tossed it in the trash. If that is what you have to do, then do it. Have you checked the fan sites looking for inspiration? I've heard that works."

Nick rolled his eyes. He pointedly avoided the fan sites ever since the first book got popular. The last thing he needed in his life was a bunch of tiresome geeks telling him how he should write and what his stories are missing. Not to mention the ones who start asking questions that Nick either will answer or choose not to respond to because it was not important. The agency keeps telling him to create a twitter page for the public, but he refused to do so. It would just be another thing to deal with.

"I'll take your silence as a resounding no," Becky said. Nick could hear a tinge of frustration in her voice. "Nick, you have to meet me halfway. I have to give these people something. What have you written so far?"

Nick scrolled up. Since the last section of the book he submitted he had written a grand total of eighteen pages. None of which do anything to serve the plot or move the story along. He knew that he had to move the plot along soon.

"Thirty-eight," Nick lied again. He hated lying to her, but like any good relationship, there had to be lies for it to work.

"Well, I guess that's better than nothing. Keep working on it."

Nick breathed a sigh of relief. She at least bought that lie. He was in the clear for the moment.

"But that does not mean you can goof off with Cody and do whatever it is that you two do when I'm not around."

"You make it sound like we have naked pillow fights or something," Nick said with a touch of accusation in his voice.

"I mean it, Nick, I want you to sit at that desk and not get up until you have the next chapter finished. I don't even want you to get up to use the bathroom. Hold it, and it will be good motivation."

"Alright," Nick told her. With an extra touch of mush, he said, "I love you."

"I love you too, but that can change if you don't get me those chapters." With that last threat, she hung up.

Nick placed the phone besides the computer and stared at the screen again. After a few minutes, the words and letters began dancing in front of his eyes. The longer he stared, the more elaborate they became. His eyelids began to droop. The screen became a blur, and before he knew it, he was face down on the keyboard.

_Nick walked down a long dark hallway. His nose burned with the smell of ash and burning wood. Was there a fire? He could smell smoke in the air, but there was none to be seen. He needed to get out of there. The only question was where he was? The walls were blank gray wood with no sign of life anywhere around him. He kept moving forward hoping to find an exit._

_ Suddenly a door seemed to spring into existence at the end of the hall. As Nick steady moved towards it, the door opened on its own allowed a small ray of light to pour from the crack. Nick pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. It was like a nursery with colorful pictures and childish paintings on the wall. There was no furniture except for a single rocking chair in the middle of the room. Back and forth it rocked. Someone was sitting in it, and they were humming a sad tune._

_ Nick walked over and discovered that the person rocking was Becky. In her arms was a small body wrapped head to toe in a baby blue blanket. Even in the grayness of the room, the blue shone brightly. Becky did not acknowledge Nick's presence as he stood there staring at her, eyes full of worry._

_ "Becky, are you alright? Please say something," Nick said as he bent down, so he was eye level with her. He reached out and pulled the blanket back from whatever she was holding. Nick's eyes widened as he saw that she was holding not a child but a stuffed bear. Only this bear was burned so severely that it was hardly recognizable. _

"_It's all gone…" Becky whispered. Nick looked up at her and noticed that her gaze was fixed on the far wall. Nick turned to see that she was staring out the only window in the room. _

_Carefully he moved toward it and looked out. The world was gone. It was like something out of a teen dystopia or a disaster movie. Fires blazed for miles over the remains of houses as crows picked at the remaining bits of whatever they could find. The sky was tainted with dark clouds the color of ash. In the distance, Nick could barely make out the outline of what once could have been skyscrapers. Deep down he knew he was looking at what remained of Chicago._

"_It's all gone," Becky whispered. _

_Nick turned back to her. He had to do something. He didn't know he could do. He walked over to her but stopped halfway. Looking down he saw something silver attached to her leg. It was a chain stuck to the floor keeping her from moving more than three feet from the chair. _

_Nick took a step back. "Becky, who—"_

_She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were no longer hers. They glowed with a bright blue light similar to the color of the blank in her arms. She opened her mouth and spoke with a ragged voice like someone who breathed in a ton of smoke. _

_"Light the way to lover's arms. From the shadows of forgiveness, there will be no harm. Feelings born from across the reaches of time and space will guide the way through the empty place. Scorn comes from the words left unsaid. The dreams and truths emerge from the queen's head. The heir will speak to the father's pride. The Atlas of the stars will then be your guide. Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end. Heart in hand she will illuminate a past hidden. Only to discover the secret of darkness kept forbidden. One becomes two, two becomes one. Only the knight can finish what has begun. The wolf will howl with his last breath. A hero's sacrifice will spare the heavens' death."_

_Nick waited, but Becky seemed to be finished. She continued to stare out the window at the bleak dystopian world as if waiting for someone to come rescue her. Desperate to help her, Nick reached down and grabbed the chain around her leg with his massive paws. He pulled and tugged, but not even the half-charred wood would break. He could not stand seeing her like this. Even though he did not know what was happening, he cared about her too much to see her suffer in this madness they found themselves in._

_"Becky," Nick said kneeling down again. He looked her right in the eye, but it was like she was looking right through him. He grabbed her wrists that were still clutching the stuffed bear like it was her lifeline. "Listen to me. You have to get up. Let me get you out of here. Or at least tell me what's going on."_

_The floor creaked. Nick's ears turned to the sound. It was faint but growing closer. His enhanced hearing allowed him to hear things, sometimes a blessing or, in the case of Cody's nightly baths, a curse. Whatever was coming sounded big and dangerous. The sounds of low growling entered Nick's ears. His heart began to thump faster in his chest. He sniffed the air. The smell of smoke and burning wood was still pungent, but there were more smells now. The first one he noticed was the fear scent that was pouring from Becky as her entire body tensed. The second was the smell of decaying flesh like someone just ate a rotting corpse on the side of the road._

"_Becky, what is that?" Nick stood up and glanced at the door. Whatever was coming was coming through there. _

"_He's coming," Becky whimpered. She clutched the toy tighter to her chest. Nick was not sure if she was talking to him or the bear. He saw that she was on the verge of tears. _

_The footsteps grew closer. They were right outside the door. Nick had a feeling that whoever or whatever was on the other side did not care about knocking. Scanning the room, Nick saw another door that he swore was not there a moment ago. It looked like a closet door or at least he hoped it was. He ran to it and flung it open revealing a small empty space no bigger than the closet at the cabin. Slipping inside, he closed the door all but a crack to continue to watch over Becky. He hated hiding like a coward while she was in so much distress but until he knew what was happening there was nothing he could do at the moment. _

_The door to the hallway opened as a large hairy figure entered the room. It walked over to Becky, but it was too dark for Nick to make out the finer details. All he knew was that it was not human or like any animal he had ever seen. It looked like a wolfman from a B-list horror movie. It leaned over Becky, who was literally shaking with fear and whispered something in her ear. Nick's ears perked up to try to catch what was being said._

"_Please, don't do this…" Becky pleaded._

_The monster responded, "I love you too much to let you go." It proceeded to grab her wrist so tightly that Becky cried out in pain. "You are mine. You promised yourself to me. I take what is mine. Always."_

_Nick couldn't stand back any longer. Whether it was the wolf part of him that responded to his mate being threatened or the human part of him that loved Becky or both it did not matter. He jumped out of the closet and charged at the creature._

_He only made it three steps before coming to a screeching halt when he saw that the monster was not a monster at all. It turned to face Nick and smiled showing off rows of teeth that seemed to extend past the confounds of its mouth. It was the eyes that stopped Nick. They were his eyes. Dark green only these were filled with anger and vengeance. The monster opened his mouth and spoke, "She belongs to me. Always."_

_His feet moved before his brain could tell him to run. The presence of the monster and the way it looked at him was enough to send Nick flying through the window if the monster was not standing directly between them. Instead, Nick chose the only other option. The door. He flew to the door as fast as he could without a second thought. He could feel the monster's eyes piercing his back as he ran. Nick grabbed the door and charged over the threshold. _

_He found himself standing in the middle of an empty white void. He turned around, but the door he came through was gone. Nothing but empty space as far as he could see. What was that he wondered to himself?_

"_Rowan!" _

_Nick turned around. He recognized the voice instantly. The same one that had been haunting him for the last several weeks. In the distance, a figure could just be made out. He frowned. She was so far away from him how could he reach her._

"_Hey!" Nick called and waved his paw in the air to get her attention. "Over here!" _

_The girl turned or at least it looked like she did from where he was standing. Without missing a moment, Nick charged towards her. A new desperation filled his chest and brain. Becky and the monster were forgotten as the thought of this girl consumed him. He had to meet her and finally understand why she came appearing to him. _

_The gap between them began to close. When it did Nick finally got a good look at the girl. Better than all the other times. She looked like she was in her early twenties or late teens. She had blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore a pink tank-top. She could have been just a regular girl out for an early morning jog so why was she in a place like this._

_Suddenly the girl stopped several feet from where Nick was standing as if something was keeping her from moving any closer. Nick smelled fear coming off of her as well as uncertainty. She questioned who he was and why he was there, Nick thought._

"_Who are you?" Nick asked before she could. _

"_Help me," she said. "Find them."_

"_Find who?" Nick asked although he already knew the answer._

"_Kistune. Rowan. Find them."_

_Nick hesitated. He did not want to promise her anything just yet. He needed more information if he was going to help her. Like who those people were and were they even people? Instead, he asked the third question racing across his mind, "Where are they?"_

_She opened her mouth to answer, but she was cut off but a horrible sound._

"NICK, I'm back with food. No need to applaud but I went the extra mile. They were having a sale."

Nick's eyes burst open as he lifted his head off the keyboard. He glanced at the screen and saw that several pages of the document were now filled with a jumble of letters ending in an infinite row of FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF…

The images from the dream swam around his head, but there was one part that stood out more than the others. He could see the strange lines of rhyme that Becky spoke shining in his brain in bright golden letters. They were burned into his corneas. Ignoring the F's for the moment, Nick typed the entirety of the verse. Once he was finished the words slowly disappeared from his mind, their mission complete. Nick stared at the lines on his computer trying to comprehend what they meant.

"Becky is going to kill you if she knows that you aren't working on that book." He pulled out a box of cereal and placed it on the counter of the kitchen. "You know she actually called me while I was at the store to tell me that I was supposed to make sure that you were working." He waved his paw. "Do I look like your owner? That's her job. I'm a roommate, not a supervisor."

"Becky—" Nick said as the rest of the dream burst in his head like an oversized pimple. The image of the room with Becky rocking the stuffed bear. The monster that looked eerily like him. Becky was crying out as he ran out of the room leaving her at its mercy.

"I need to call her," Nick said. He fumbled around his desk looking for his phone. Cody looked on curiously his paws slowly opening up a box of Sour Patch Kits. Grabbing the phone with two hands, Nick hit Becky's name under the Recent Caller list. He held it to his ear and waited. One ring. Two rings. He forced himself to calm down.

Finally, she answered, "Well, I hope you're calling me to tell me that you finished in the chapters over the last hour since we spoke. If not then…"

Nick cut her off. "Do you want to come over this weekend?" He tried to ask her as calmly as possible, but the words came out like a massive hurl. He cringed as he waited for a response.

It must have caught her off guard because she did not respond right away. "I don't know Nick. I'm busy with clients and I really, really need you to finish. I want too, but I just don't think this weekend is good for me."

Fear washed over him. Was she purposely avoiding him? She usually came over once a month and this weekend was not time but still why not? The idea of losing her was worse than the dream of him holding her captive. She was his only tie to the world he left behind. Without her, he would have probably gone mad or at least hurt Cody.

"Please," Nick said keeping his voice calm and collected. "I know it's not our weekend, but I figured with the chapters not getting finished, I could use the motivation."

He could see her rolling her eyes in his head "You really think that me being there will help you write? If that was true, then why didn't any of the other times help you then? Oh, that's right because we spent the entire time—"

"Oh, let's not go there right now," Nick said.

"Yes, please. It's bad enough hearing you two through the walls. I don't need a reminder,  
Cody called from the kitchen.

Nick turned to face him, giving him a look of pure poison. He gestured towards Cody's room with a wave of his paw. Cody threw his arms in the air and walked away. When he was out of sight, Nick turned his attention back to Becky.

"How about this for a deal. I finish the chapters in the next two days. Then you come by Friday and stay the weekend as a reward for all my hard work."

Becky sighed. "You are such a child, Nick." He could tell she was smiling on the other end. "Alright, if it means you actually finish, I guess I can spend the weekend with you. But I'm telling you this now, it will not be all fun and games. I have work to do, and so do you. Just because you finish these chapters does not mean you are off the hook. You still have an entire book to finish. The rate you're going everyone is going to forget about the first "White Fox" book in exchange for the next bestseller animal adventure series."

"Don't worry when I'm done with this book, it'll be so great that no one will remember Pridelands," Nick lied. Pridelands was and still is one of his favorite series. He glanced at the bookcase beside the next. All seven books sat neatly in a row, all first editions. A few signed by Miss Auburn herself. His mind drifted to years back when he was waiting in line, and a strange purple cat erupted out the crowd. He watched as security had to drag her out of the store.

"Alright then. You have two days. If I do not have those chapters by Thursday evening, then no deal. You can spend this weekend curled up on the couch with Cody," she threatened. Nick clenched his teeth. The one time she came over unannounced and caught them both passed out on the couch. She never let him forget it and never missed a moment to show the picture she took on her phone. He swore that she had it framed on her desk, but she denied it with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Before you hang up," Nick said. He paused not sure how to ask what was on his mind. "Are you happy? I mean with us?"

"Of course, I am," she said with no hesitation. "I mean it's not ideal. I wish you would just come live with me sometimes. I understand why you stay there in the cabin. I just…"

"I know. I wish too," Nick told her. He hung up before she could say anything else. He placed the phone back on the desk and stared at his paws. The image of the monster standing over Becky still replayed over and over again. Was that what he was? A monster was keeping her prisoner. Was he keeping her from moving on with her life and meeting someone else? For what? Because he was afraid of being alone? His only friend a cougar who only stayed because of free food and shelter. What did that leave him?

He banged his fist on the keyboard in frustration. He couldn't worry about that now. He had a story to write and no idea what he was doing. He needed to get started.

Cody walked back into the den holding an empty box of candy to find Nick with his head on the desk and his fist repeatedly banging against the keyboard. In the past few hours, Nick successfully wrote a page and a half, and most of it was nothing but information about the town the characters were arriving at. Not precisely the fast-paced action that flowed through the first novel.

"I take it is not going well." Cody smiled at Nick was given an angry scowl in response.

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like you are fighting your computer and losing," Cody told him. He tossed the box in the trash and walked over to the desk.

"You're not wrong. I'm definitely losing." Nick set up. "I'm losing my girlfriend. I'm on the verge of losing my writing career before it even starts. I think I'm losing my mind." Nick told Cody about the dream but left out the part about the girl in the white space. The last thing he wanted was that information getting back to Becky.

"You're under a lot of pressure. You need to relax. Come over and watch TV with me. It'll take your mind off thing. Maybe you'll be inspired."

"I mean look at this," Nick told him. "This is the best I've got after working on it all day." He gestured at the text on the screen.

Cody withdrew by saying, "You know writing is your thing. I can't help you."

Nick shot him a skeptical look. "Have you even read my first book?"

"I read part of it," Cody said slowly. He gave a weak smile. Nick was not impressed.

"I'm not surprised. I'm more surprised that you can read at all."

"Hey, mean," Cody snapped. "Just because you're frustrated doesn't mean you get to insult my intelligence."

"Sorry," Nick said without clearly meaning it. Cody took it anyway.

"Come over here and watch TV," Cody told him. He sat on the couch and wrapped his tail around his leg. He reached out and picked up the remote off the table. "I recorded this show that I've been wanting to watch. I think it's one of those funniest pet shows. It sounded promising."

Nick took one last look at the computer. The words were not coming to him. Giving up, Nick walked to the couch and set beside Cody. If Becky did leave him, at least he would have him as long as there was television. He watched as Cody flipped through the DVR until he came to a show called "Pets!"

"Pets! That is what the show is called?" Nick asked.

"Apparently."

"I'm getting something to drink," Nick said and stood up while Cody fast forwarded through the commercials. He wandered to the fridge and opened it up. True to his word, Cody refilled it will enough meat and treats to satisfy them both for the next week at most. He scanned the contents and realized that although Cody got more milk, there was little else to drink.

"Did you remember to get more water?" Nick asked even though he knew the answer already.

"Um, no" Cody called. "I'll never understand you humans and your need to drink water that comes from a bottle. I've drunk from rivers, springs, and puddles my whole life and I'm perfectly fine."

Nick bit his tongue to stop himself from replying with a snarky comment. With no other option, he pulled a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water from the kitchen faucet. One of these days he needed to get a filter or something. That's what he kept telling himself.

The show had begun as Nick made his way back to the couch. The TV was showing a montage of different pets, and people who Nick assumed were owners. "Hey there, welcome to the show. I'm Lisa Smith, and this is Rowan Gains. Today we are interview three extraordinary guests."

Nick did a spit take and tried to cough up the water that was trapped in his throat. All while not taking his eyes off the TV. Cody, seeing Nick's distress, paused the show and rushed to him. He rubbed Nick's back trying to massage the water down his esophagus.

When Nick could finally speak again, he asked, "Who is that?" and pointed at the TV.

"I think that's one of the hosts or at least that's what she said," Cody said. "Are you alright?"

Nick raised a shaky finger and pointed at the frozen image of Lisa. "Tha…that's her," he said. "That's the girl from my dream. The one I keep seeing. The one that was calling for help." He could see her clearly in his mind screaming. "_Rowan! Kitsune! Help me_!"

"I have to find her," Nick muttered and ran over to his computer.

"What?!" Cody exclaimed. "Dude, you have a girlfriend. What would Becky say if she heard you?  
"It doesn't matter. I'm not in love with this girl. I just know that she needs help and I'm the only one who can do it." He opened the browser and typed in "Pets!" in the search engine.

"Nick, you know I don't like being the voice of reason, but this is ridiculous. I know you've been having strange dreams lately. For some reason, you insist on telling me about them. You've been under a lot of pressure to write your book. This girl is nothing but a TV character."

"How do you explain how I've never seen her before now, yet I've been dreaming about her for weeks?" He found a page on the show and click it. He needed a location. Where was it?

"I don't know. Maybe you saw her on the street or in a magazine. That's how I found out about the show. It was in a copy of Pet Fancy."

Nick turned around with a concerned look. "When were you reading Pet Fancy?  
Cody's ears blushed. "I may have read it in the store while waiting in line to buy _your_ groceries."

"My groceries that you eat too," Nick said. He turned back around. He could not get into another argument about who ate what around here. The website Nick was on had a list of characters and names, but none of them mattered. He knew that her name was Lisa. The idea of googling her crossed his mind, but he immediately rejected it. Finally, he scrolled down and found what he was looking for. "It says here that the show was filmed almost entirely in a place called Babylon Gardens."

"I've never heard of it. Is it like a town?" Cody asked leaning over to get a look at the screen.

"It doesn't say much. But according to this Babylon Gardens is a neighborhood?" Nick opened a new window and searched "Babylon Gardens." A new page came up, and Nick read it aloud, "Babylon Gardens is a subdivision built in 1987 by the Milton Development Company. The former owner, Henry Milton, built his mansion known as the Milton Manor in 1955. It is the home of the Milton Ferrets; whose net worth is equal to the GNP of three small countries or one medium size country."

Nick thought about for a moment before realization hit him on the head like a sledgehammer. "Milton is the owner of the publishing company that does my books!"

"What a coincidence," Cody said losing interest. "Can I go back to my show?"

Nick ignored him in favor of a new strategy. He searched for the Milton Manor and got an address. Quickly opening Google Maps, he typed in the address and searched for directions. "According to this. It would take roughly five hours to get there from here."

Cody laid back down on the couch and unpaused the TV. "You aren't serious about going there, are you? How are you supposed to get there anyway? You can't drive anymore unless you stopped by the DMV without telling me. If you did, I would be agitated that I have to walk myself to town every day."

"You're right," Nick said glumly. "I can't drive five hours there. I can't get a cab or take a bus either." He silently cursed his wolf body. Another thing to add to the list of why the universe sucked. "I have to ask Becky to take me."

That got Cody's attention because he paused the show again and faced him. He placed both paws on the back of the couch and hoisted himself up. "You can't be serious. Nick be reasonable. What are you going to tell her? You've been dreaming about a girl from TV? She's barely over anymore. Tell her that, and she will dump your tail."

Cody was picking up on it too, Nick made a mental note and filed it away for later. "I have no choice. I don't have a car or legal license. I can't even step outside the cabin without risking getting shot. I can't call my parents and have them come all the way from Chicago to take me. So, unless you know a magical Pegasus that lives in the woods which will be willing to take me, then I'm out of options."

"I'm just saying. Becky is a catch. You don't want to lose her over this."

Nick knew Cody was right. He knew he was acting crazy. Lack of sleep and stress from his novel were driving him crazy. But there was a part of him, some primal part that he did not understand that knew that Lisa needed him. The fear and distress on her face were real and no dream. The way she called for Rowan to help her. Maybe if he could find Rowan Gains, then he could save her. Nick glanced at the phone. He reached out for it feeling Cody's stare watching his every move like a predator stalking his prey. He unlocked it and called Becky again.

**Two Days Later**

"Tell me again why I'm doing this?" Becky asked from the driver's seat.

They were both currently sitting in her car driving down I-55 in what Nick could only describe as the longest and most awkward road trip he had ever been on. He had no idea how he managed to convince her to take this little getaway. He successfully finished the chapters in record time. By that point Becky was so thrilled she would have most likely said yes to just about anything. He got reservations at a Milton Inn located not far from Babylon Gardens. It was one of the few hotel chains that allowed pets for free. He still had not told Becky the entirety of his plans. Mostly because he was not sure of them himself.

"I thought it would be good for us to get away for a little while. The cabin has been feeling a little crowded with Cody listening in on us."

"Don't remind me," she said as her body shook at the unclean thought. "But this is an odd choice. We could have gotten a spot by Lake Michigan. Or have gone literally anywhere else. What's the name of the town we're going to again?"

"I don't remember," Nick told her as he stared out the window.

He got several odd looks from the passengers in the other cars they passed. Fortunately, no one called the police on them yet. Tricking passing cars was one thing. The real challenge would arise when they arrived at the hotel. Nick checked the clock on the dashboard. 4:09 p.m. Their room should be ready by now. He got double beds just in case Becky would not be in the mood to cuddle once she found out why he chose a town in the middle of nowhere to spend their weekend alone together.

Convincing her to take him to see the Milton's would be another hurdle he would have to cross. He researched the show and found out that the producer was Rock Milton, one of the ferrets he read about. He currently lived in the Milton Manor with the rest of them. The only edge Nick had was that he was the author of the Milton's publishing company's only bestseller. He hoped that would be enough to get a foot in the door.

Becky pulled off the interstate and drove down a string of backroads and small highways until they reached their destination. She parked the car in front of the hotel and turned to Nick. This was the part they had both been dreading. Showtime. Nick bent down and picked up a collar and leash from the floor. He wrapped it around his neck and handed the leash to Becky who gave him an encouraging look. They stepped out and so far there was no screaming. They gathered their bags and went in.

Becky walked to the desk with Nick keeping a reasonable distance behind her. The front desk lady, Brittany, gave them both skeptical looks. "Hey there," Becky said. "I'm checking in. The reservation should be under Strauss."

Brittany had to tear her eyes away from Nick to check the computer. Nick was not surprised. He kept most of his height after his transformation, so he was roughly 5'4'' by his last measurement. Shorter than he was as a human but taller than your average wolf. He wore a jacket but no pants because he was acting the part of a dog. A wolfish dog but a dog none the less. The collar had a tag with his name on it, but it might not be enough to convince anyone who really got a good look at him. He turned away from Brittany's gaze and looked as innocent as possible. He was just a pet with his owner for a stay for the weekend.

"Rebecca Strauss?" Brittany asked reading the name off the computer.

"That's me," Becky said with an over-enthusiastic tone in her voice.

"You are here for two nights with your…dog." It wasn't a question but the way she said it made it sound like one.

"That is correct. This is my dog, Nick." Becky raised the leash to illustrate further the parts they were playing.

Brittany glanced at Nick again who gave a small wave. He tried to be inconspicuous. The less attention he received, the better the odds they had for this to work.

"He sure is a big one," Brittany said as she prepared the key card.

"He sure is," Becky responded. "Can we get two cards."

Brittany looked unsure like Becky asked for her first born instead of a second key. Begrudgingly, she did two cards and put them in the envelope before writing down their room number.

"You are in Room 213. We serve breakfast until 10:00 a.m. Pets are allowed in the dining area, but they have to be leashed at all times."

"Thanks," Becky said and took the keys. "Come on Nick. Grab the bags and let's move."

Nick did what he was told. He picked up the bags and followed Becky to the elevator down the hall. He could feel Brittany's gaze the entire time until they turned the corner. He let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, people had a tendency to believe what they wanted to believe other than what their eyes told them. No one would suspect a guest to bring in a wolf into a hotel so of course, he had to be an oversized dog. Maybe some wolf blood in there somewhere but a dog none the less.

They reached their rooms without indecent. No one was wandering down the halls as they found their room. Becky unlocked the door and strolled through with Nick on her heels. He dropped the bags at each of their respective beds. Becky flopped down on one and turned her head towards him. She patted the area beside her in a gesture of "Come here."

Nick smiled a wolfish grin. The Milton's, Lisa, Rowan, and all that could wait. For the first time in years, he was alone with his fiancé in a hotel room. He took off his jacket and walked to her. He started to take the collar off, but Becky grabbed his arm. She shook her head. "Keep it on," she told him. Once again Nick did as he was told.

**The Next Day**

Nick woke up early. He rolled over and cracked open an eye. Becky was asleep in the other bed. After last night's fun, she decided that she would sleep better with him in the additional bed. Something about needing space. Nick partly agreed with her. He rose as quietly as possible and got dressed. He opened the door but looked back at Becky one last time. He felt like he was betraying her trust but leaving her like this. He felt dirty and not because he was too tired to shower the night before. He pushed the thought out of his head. There was something he needed to do, and Becky would only try to stop him if she knew. He exited the room and closed the door behind him.

One of the reasons he chose that hotel was because it allowed pets but mostly because it was in walking distance from Babylon Gardens. He strolled down the street with his leash in hand. No one was around this early in the morning. Sleeping in on a Saturday he assumed. He pulled out his phone and checked the GPS app. He had to turn on the next road. Following the instructions on the screen, he found himself standing in front of a large stone sign with the words "Babylon Gardens" etched on it.

Houses of different shapes, colors, and sizes lined the roads as Nick made his way down the sidewalk. He saw more than one dog and cat running around, playing in the morning sun. He remembered that he was an overly pet-friendly neighborhood. One dog paused to stare at him. Nick gave a small nod and wave. The dog tilted his head before waving back before returning to his game. Nick watched him go. He always wanted a pet growing up. But his parents never allowed it. They gave the usual excuses about money and responsibility. Nick always figured it was because they disliked animals. Jokes on them now since he was an animal now too.

A purple cat caught his eye. Nick stopped walking and turned to the cat who was walking beside another cat, this one black with a bell on his collar, on the other side of the road. They were deep in conversation. Nick's ears picked up on their conversation. Usually, Nick would not eavesdrop on other people's conversations especially pets, but that cat looked very familiar. It couldn't be. Could it?

"I just don't understand why we have to go," the black cat whined.

"I know Maxie, but this is important. Kitsune says he has an idea or something and needs our help."

The black cat, Maxie, sighed and crossed his arms. "Does it have to be so early? I had the "Bino gets kicked out of the house" dream again."

"You have that dream at least once a week," the purple cat reminded him. "This is about finding Rowan and maybe Lisa."

That got Nick's attention. Rowan, Lisa, and Kitsune. It was like the winning the name dropping lottery. He could feel his fur stand up in anticipation. Could it be this easy? He was about to find out. Nick crossed the street and followed the two cats to a fairly unremarkable house. They walked up the front door and knocked. Keeping his distance, Nick watched what happened next. The door opened and a small yellow dog, a Pomeranian maybe, gestured them inside.

Once they disappeared and Nick was sure he was alone, he moved to the door. It was a solid wooden door, but like most middle-income houses it was thin and flimsy. Made with more Styrofoam than anything else most likely. He pressed his ear to the door and listened. If anyone walked pass at the moment, he was good as captured.

"This is everyone. I've spoken with everyone I can think of in heaven, but no one has any ideas about where Lisa or Rowan is. All I know is that it is important for all our sakes that we find them as soon as possible." The voice was male. Nick could feel his fur stand up listening to it. It was laced with power that he did not understand. An instinctual part of him wanted him to run away as fast as possible screaming DANGER DANGER.

"You said you had a plan of sorts," another voice asked, this one female.

"I have sort of a plan. But for this to work, I'm going to need help." His voice tinged with bitterness.

Nick took this as an invitation. With a savage twist, he turned the knob and threw the door wide open. He stepped inside the house and was met with the confused stares of several different animals. Quickly Nick registered each one. There were three cats include the two he followed along with another black cat. Two dogs, the Pomeranian, and a brown dog who looked way more excited than he should be considering Nick just barged in. Two weasels set side by side in a large Laz-I-Boy recliner. One looked confused while the other looked like he was ready to call the SWAT team. The final character the oddest of the bunch. At first, Nick was not sure what he was seeing. It was a blonde fox with nine tails waving around his back. His mouth was open like Nick interrupted him mid-sentence.

"My name is Nick Powell," Nick said even though no one said anything or asked. "I think I can help you find your friend."

Lisa walked continuously without a thought or a destination in sight. The whiteness was blinding even without what she could consider light. Whatever laws of physics this place worked on it was completely different from her own world. Despite the seamlessly endless time she had spent there, she did not feel tired, hungry, or even the urge to go to the bathroom. The more she thought about it, she knew she was dead. That is why she stopped thinking at all.

Mindlessly she moved. Her feet were there beneath her, she assumed. Should she look down and check? Did it matter? Was she even moving at all? With nothing around to help judge distance, she could not tell. Standing still did nothing. Moving did nothing.

"Rowan." Her breath was less than a whisper. She repeated that name. She could see him in her mind. Or at least what she felt like he looked like. His image was fading. Fear gripped her heart. Would she forget him if she stopped saying his name? Where was he? Why wasn't he here? He was always by her side. Lisa closed her eyes and stopped walking.

What was his name again?

The tightening in her body grew stronger. She looked down at her chest. There was nothing there besides her clothes. Time meant nothing, so they looked as fresh and clean as when she first put them on. When was that again? Images of animals popped into her mind, but before she could get a good look at them, they vanished as if someone popped the bubble. They looked funny or at least what she could see of them. It was like looking through a foggy window. She could see outlines and colors but no details. Were they standing upright? That wasn't right. Animals did not walk around on two legs. She pressed her hands over her face trying to clear her mind.

What was his name again?

The images appeared faster and faster, but as they appeared, they were immediately replaced. There was one image that didn't disappear. It was him. No not him. Someone else. This image was stranger than all the others. It was an animal, but it had nine tails. A fox? Kitsune.

She lowered her hands from her face. Kitsune. The name triggered something. In the distance, she could almost see him standing there. Golden fur blowing without wind. He raised a paw for her to take. Lisa reached out to take it but as soon as she lifted her arm the image was gone. It was replaced by someone else.

It was him.

The one she could not remember. He stood there a great distance away but at the same time close enough to touch. She reached out to him. He was yelling something. His voice was silent, but his face was screaming her name. He wanted her to take his hand. The memory of pain. His pain. Her pain. She was so close. Her fingers were less than an inch from his. Before she could take it, he vanished. She was alone.

Rowan. That was his name. How many times had she forgotten it only to be reminded? She lost count.

Rowan and Kitsune. She needed them. Where were they?

After the fantasy was gone, Lisa moved forward. Her legs moved without her command. This was cycle she found herself in. Forgetting then remembering then forgetting again. She whispered their names until only Rowan's remained. Then his was forgotten.

Her head hurt, her body ached, and her heart hurt. It made no sense why she felt this way. Why was she suffering in a place where there was nothing that could hurt her? She forced her feet forward. Something appeared in the distance. Another fantasy? No this was different.

It was not a person but a door. She raced towards it believing it could be the answer to escaping this place. As she neared it, her memories cleared. She could see her friends clearly now. They were waiting for her back in Babylon Gardens. The door was right before her. The handle glistened in a golden hue. It was so familiar. The door was one she had opened so many times before until finally, she could never bring herself to open it again. After that it stayed closed, its contents lost and forgotten.

Lisa turned the handle and walked through. She found herself in a study. Bookcases lined the left wall. Books on literature, history, and psychology. The opposite walled had a collection of pictures hanging on it with a table resting under them. Her own childhood memories were staring back at her frozen in time. In front of her was a large desk. Carvings covered the edges as it sparkled like it was freshly polished. On it was a computer, papers, phone, and a book open to the first page.

Lisa's eyes were drawn to the figure standing with his back turned to her. He looked out the window behind the desk even though there was nothing to see but whiteness. He turned around and looked at her. Lisa felt her chest ache with longing as tears formed in her eyes. He looked the same as in her dreams.

He smiled. "Lisa."

"Daddy?"


	3. Chapter 3: Connected Feelings

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 3: Connected Feelings

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from Tarot**

**I foresaw this moment. You have come again to continue the story. Let me tell you what has occurred before now. The battle with the fallen god Drasil left many scars as Lisa sacrificed herself to ensure his defeat. The pets felt a heavy blow as she vanished, but no one suffered as much as Rowan. Devastated by the loss, he succumbed to dark powers and is currently drawing mana energy to unleash against those he blames for Lisa's death. The pets got together for the premiere of the documentary series that Lisa and Rowan worked on during their stay at Babylon Gardens. Seeing them again caused mixed feelings. King was the hardest hit. A new stranger has appeared in the neighborhood. His name is Nick Powell. A human turned into a wolf by a mystic spring. He is also the author of the popular book "White Fox" which Peanut has talked non-stop about for several weeks. Nick has been having visions of Lisa, who is not dead but is trapped in an empty void. Unsure of what to do, Nick has come to Babylon Gardens with his fiancé Becky Strauss. Now he is standing in Keene's home with a message for those of us Kitsune gathered to plan a strategy to find Lisa. He says he can save her but the question remains of how? **

When Lisa turned nine years old, her mother refused to throw her a birthday party. Instead, Lisa was given a dozen cupcakes along with the few presents her mother bought her. Lisa sat alone at the dining room table and watched her mother walk away without so much as a care about her daughter's special day. With no other choice, she fished out a used birthday candle and placed it in one of the cupcakes. Along with the candle was a book of matches which was used to light the candle. Lisa stared at the small flame and closed her eyes. Before blowing out the candles, she made a wish. The same wish she made the next year and the year after that. Finally, when she turned eighteen, she stopped wishing altogether. But before that she wished, for one thing, to see her father again.

"Daddy."

Lisa's father looked exactly the same as he did the day he left her. His brown jacket and khaki pants with the ragged pair of tennis shoes that her mother begged him to throw out. His black hair combed to the side along with the few streaks of gray that he liked to blame her for. He stood there in front of her. This was his office, Lisa realized. How many times had she found him at that desk, working on whatever project took up his time at the moment?

Her father walked around the desk not taking his eyes off of her. Lisa threw herself at him. Wrapping her arms around him as if he would disappear again if she let go. Tears soaked into his jacket as she cried into his chest. She felt warm arms wrap themselves around her back as he hugged her back.

"Oh, Lisa. I've missed you so much."

Lisa mumbled something back, but her voice was lost in his clothes. She pulled herself away and wiped her face. Taking a step back she tried to understand why he was there. She had dreamt about him a lot since coming to Babylon Gardens. He was there to guide her when she worked to stop Drasil. This did not feel like a dream.

"Are you real?" she asked despite her fear of what the answer might be.

"Yes and no," he said. His face dropped slightly. He was holding something back, she could tell.

"What do you mean? Where have you been all these years? Mother was never the same after you left. She was horrible. I needed you. She needed you." The tears began flowing again as her voice was cut off by sobs of grief.

He was expressionless. He let her yell, cry, and accuse him without a word. The more she yelled, the angrier she became. He would not respond to her. Her voice finally gave out, and she was overcome with exhaustion.

The room spun around as her legs gave out from under her. Before she hit the ground, two arms reached out and caught her. Her father dragged her limb body over to the desk and placed her in the chair. Lisa leaned back and let herself become lost in the soft cushion that cradled her back.

"I know you're angry and you have every right to be. But you have to understand what is happening," he told her.

Lisa straightened up and stared at him. She waited for an explanation.

"This place we are in is neither reality or fantasy. It does not have a name. To be honest, I am not sure where it is other than somewhere between space and time. Maybe even somewhere beyond." He took a breath. "I have been here for a long time. Ever since I left you that morning. This place," he gestured around the office. "It is my prison."

"Prison?" Lisa asked. Her mind flashed back to Tartarus and the golden chains that entrapped Drasil. "Who would want to capture you?"

"I am not sure. But I can sense a powerful presence out there in the void. It is keeping me here."

"What about my dreams of you?"

"I have only been able to communicate with you in your dreams because you too were beyond time and space, but I couldn't until you were in a world of magic. That magic allowed me to connect with you."

Every answer he gave her raised a hundred more questions until Lisa's head was buzzing with them. One thing she knew for sure, was that her father was alive, and he was connecting to her without her fully realizing it. Scrunching up her eyebrows, she looked at in his eyes. The same eyes that looked at her with so much love. She knew another thing for sure, she was going to get him out of here.

Standing up she said, "Let's get out of here." She moved past him and grabbed his arm. She pulled him to the door, but he would not budge from the spot. "Daddy, come on. We have to go. I don't how, but we'll get back home. I'll take you there myself."

He smiled at her. It was the same look a parent gives a child when they gush over something mundane but think it is the most exciting thing in the world. He knew something that she didn't.

"I can't go, Lisa. I told you that this is my prison. The only reason you found me is because it wanted you too."

Lisa shook her head refusing to believe that. This was fate. She was supposed to find him so she could bring him home. All she wanted for so long was for him to return to her. Now he was telling her that after all this time, it was for nothing.

"I can't leave you. I won't," she said sternly.

"I am so proud of you," he said and walked towards her. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. The same way he did the day he left.

"Daddy, please." Her heart felt like it was being ripped in two. She wanted to say more but was interrupted by violent shaking. Everything in the office shook. Books fell off the shelves and landed on the floor. The pictures danced on the wall but thankfully stayed. The window sounded like it could break at any moment.

"What's going on?" Lisa asked.

Lisa's father looked at the door like he was seeing it for the first time. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her towards it. As they neared, it opened on its own. "Listen to me. There will be a time when you will be able to find me again. But now is not the time. It is coming. I want you to run and don't look back."

"Daddy," Lisa cried and planted her feet, but it was like she weighed nothing. She could not stop herself from being shoved out of the room.

Her legs were out the door when he bent down and whispered, "I love you, Lisa. Be safe." With one final push, Lisa was ejected from the office. Her shoulder hit the ground with a heavy thud. She propped herself up just in time to see the door close. Jumping up, she rushed to the door and banged on it as hard as she could. She screamed and yelled, but there was no response. The doorknob would no longer turn.

"Daddy!" she cried as she banged on the wood. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she slumped down. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes. A second later she felt herself fall backward. Thankfully, she caught herself before hitting the ground, but the door was gone. It was like it was never there. Looking around, Lisa saw the endless nothingness around her. Once again, she was alone.

Nick stood there awkwardly feeling the eyes of the animals watching his every movement. Even though he was the primary predator among them, he felt a lot like prey. Maybe this was a mistake, he thought. He just barged into a stranger's house because he had a dream about a girl. They were talking about her sure, but he probably should have knocked at least.

His mind was whirling with thoughts of how he was going to get out of this. The door was still open and less than three steps behind him. He could quickly turn around and walk away. This could be chalked up to an embarrassing incident that would be forgotten about by the end of the weekend. Why was he such an idiot?

Nick shifted his leg slightly, and one of the weasels stood up in the recliner. He was a thin thing with brown fur from the neck down and white fur covering his head except for a single brown stripe across his eyes. A red collar was around his neck. The look he was giving gave Nick the sense that this weasel was in charge. He the radiated confidence of someone who was usually the boss and liked ordering people around. Nick had worked enough part-time jobs to recognize the type.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" he asked. He jumped down from the chair ignoring the worried look the other weasel was giving him.

His house? Nick looked around the room. It looked like any other living room one would see in a middle-income house. How could a weasel own his own home?

Then it clicked. Nick remembered what he read about the Milton's or more specifically the Milton ferrets. This was one of them. The ferret strolled over until he was only a few feet from Nick. He looked up at the wolf without a single ounce of fear on his face. Nick was impressed. Usually, when small animals saw him, they ran for their lives. Money really did change people.

"Well, I'm waiting," he said tapping one foot.

"Um…" Nick started to say.

"Wait." One of the dogs spoke. The brownish one stood up on the couch. "You said your name was Nick Powell. Like the author of "White Fox." That Nick Powell?"

"Yeah, that's me," Nick said. "I wrote the book."

The dog howled excitedly. He jumped over the couch and ran over to Nick nearly knocking the ferret over. He stopped only when he was so close that Nick could smell what the dog had for dinner the night before. Usually, that would not be a big deal for Nick's nose, but it was very strong.

"This is so great." The dog bounced up and down excitedly. His tail was wagging so hard that Nick was afraid it would fly off. "I have so many questions like who is the mysterious Malcolm Farefold? What was the significance of Mark of the Seven Suns? What is Todd's home life like because we never see him on Earth really?"

The dog probably could have kept going, but he was stopped by the purple cat that Nick followed in. She moved over to the dog and pulled him away. She shot Nick a skeptical look. The rest of the animals moved closer to get a better look. All except the fox and the other weasel who was watching from a distance, their faces unreadable.

The purple cat spoke first, "There is no way you're really the author of "White Fox." Nick Powell is human."

"That doesn't mean anything," the black cat with the bell said. "Res wrote Pridelands even though he let his owner take the credit."

"Wait, what?"

"That's different," the purple cat said. "Different for reasons I will come up with later."

"I don't care who wrote what," the ferret shouted. "I want you out of my house. I did not move out of my mansion for strange wolves to barge in whenever they want. If I wanted that I would have stayed with the others."

Nick's head began to hurt. None of these animals were making any sense. "Will you all shut up!" he shouted. A vicious growl erupted from his throat as his lips bent back revealing his teeth. They all took several steps back.

"Sorry, but I can't deal with all of you at once. Yes, I am the author of "White Fox," but that's not why I'm here."

"You said you can help us," the fox spoke this time. Nick recognized the voice from the one he heard through the door. "Do you know where Lisa is?"

Nick could hear the skepticism in the fox's voice, but there was something else. Desperation. This fox was desperate to find her. His eyes flashed a brilliant red. The fox moved closer and studied Nick. He could feel the fox's eyes take in every part of him. It was like he was looking into Nick's soul. He felt very naked even with the jacket and collar.

"You are not a real wolf," the fox said, but it was not a question rather a statement of fact. How did he know, Nick wondered? "I can sense the power of nature magic around you. Pan's if I'm not mistaken."

"Wait." The Pomeranian moved next to the fox. "This wolf was once human like King."

"I believe so." The fox did not take his eyes off Nick. "His fate has been distorted by the magic. Pan is a tricky one as usual."

"Back up a minute," Nick said raising his paws. "Who is Pan?"

"Pan is a nature god. Lord of the wild. A satyr. Part goat and part man."

Nick remembered the spring. The strange creature was sitting on the rocks. He had hooves and horns. Could that have been Pan? "There was someone like that at the spring."

"Did he have a set of pipes around his neck."

Nick remember something hanging from the satyr's neck. They could be considered pipes although how anyone would play them was beyond him. "Yes, he did."

The fox smiled showing off all his teeth. Nick felt uncomfortable seeing that. "That was Pan alright." He laughed. "You said spring right. I know what happened. You must have stumbled on one of his sacred springs. No humans allowed. Let me guess, you drank the water despite the warnings not too?"

Nick felt very warm. His was sure he was blushing. "Yes," he muttered and looked away. The thought of turning tail and leaving was looking better. Maybe if he hurried, he could get back to the hotel before Becky woke up.

"Excuse me, but I think we got off topic here," the other black cat spoke. "Kitsune, you were telling us that you had a plan to find Lisa."

"Actually, I was saying I did not have a plan and that we would come up with one. But I believe that will no longer be necessary. Our new friend here is just what we need to find her."

"I find that hard to believe," the Pomeranian said.

"Why is that, Tarot?" the brown dog asked.

"Because Peanut, how is this wolf supposed to help us," Tarot said. "Even if he was human once that does not give him special powers. Nothing I found on the astral web said anything about where Lisa could be or even if she is still alive."

"We know she's alive. Kitsune told us that Cerberus spoke with the others and no one saw Lisa cross over into the afterlife. She has to be out there somewhere," the female black cat said.

"I believe that she is still alive," the purple cat said. "Someone like her doesn't just die that easily.

"That's the spirit, Grape," Peanut exclaimed.

"This is all touching, but can we move this along?" the ferret said again looking more irritated by the second. "Breel and I have plans for this morning. I allowed this meeting because I want to find Lisa as much as the rest of you. But unless we have a solid plan or lead, I don't know what we're doing here."

"Keene does have a point," the female black cat said. She looked up at Nick. "How do you know where Lisa is?"

Nick was suddenly exhausted. After so many years with only Becky and Cody to talk to, he was not used to being around so many different conflicting ideas. "Let's sit down."

"Good idea," Kitsune said and rubbed his paws together. With a snap of his fingers, several folding chairs appeared in the room. The front door closed behind Nick cutting off his escape. The animals set back down where they were before while Nick and Kitsune sat in the folding chairs. Nick wanted to ask how he did that but considering everything else that was happening, he figured it was not important.

"Here is what I know," Nick began. He told them about the dreams of Lisa and the white void she found herself in. He said to them that he had been having them for a few weeks now. They were getting more vivid, and she was beginning to talk to him. When he finished, they all looked at him with intense interest.

Kitsune shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He was scowling at the floor lost in thought.

Tarot was the first to speak after Nick finished, "Kitsune, you know something, don't you? Are you going to tell the rest of us?"

Kitsune grimaced. He eyed Nick for a moment before turning his attention to the rest of them. "She's in the Void."

Everyone one in the room gasped at once except Nick. "What's that?"

"I don't know, but it sounds dangerous," Peanut said.

"It is very dangerous. The Void is an infinite space of nothing. The Gods will occasionally go there and have special pockets within the space that we created to be alone."

"I know about this," the black cat with the bell said suddenly.

"How do you know that Max?" the purple cat said.

"Remember when we went to Gallifrax and Dragon got upset. I found myself in this white space, and there was a door that led me into her bedroom."

"Was that before or after you started crying and yelling about your feelings?" the purple cat said with a small grin on her face.

Max was not amused. "Oh haha, Grape. I know what it sounds like, but it's true."

"Max is right about Dragon, but that is not important," Kitsune said. "As I said the Void is infinite. We can navigate it up to a point by leaving anchors in space/time. That is how we know where we are and where anything we leave behind is. Getting in and out is not the problem but finding something or someone will be.

"It's a lead at least. We know more now than we did five minutes ago," Tarot said. "We have to go there and get her out."

"How do we do that?" Peanut said. "Do you or Sabrina have any ideas?  
Nick assumed the other black cat was Sabrina. He was finally able to put names to faces. Everyone exchanged glances with each other until they were all staring back at him. He shifted in his chair. He did not like being the center of attention. Here he was being watched like an animal in the zoo.

"The answer lies with him," Kitsune said. "You are connected to Lisa. I don't know how but if we are going to find her then we have to go to the Void ourselves."

He stood up and snapped his fingers. The front door opened up, but instead of revealing the neighborhood all that was outside was an infinite expanse of nothingness. Everyone looked on in stunned silence. Nick felt instantly uncomfortable like he stepped foot in a foot of sharks wearing nothing but a necklace of bloody sausages around his neck. He cast his eyes over the others and wondered how he got himself into this. He wanted to help Lisa, but this was far beyond what he was expecting. He stared at Kitsune who was eyeing the doorway with such intensity that Nick was not sure whether or not Kitsune would wait before charging head first into the void. At least no one was expecting him to go save her himself. He told them where she was so that must be good enough.

Kitsune clapped his paws together and gave Nick a toothy grin. "Ready to go?"

Nick's jaw dropped. He looked at the doorway then over at Kitsune then back again. He could not be serious. From the look Kitsune was giving him, Nick was not sure if the fox was serious about anything. There was a playful glint in his eyes of someone who found amusement in the most unlikely places.

"You want me to go in there," Nick said pointing into the void.

"You are the only one who has had contact with Lisa in over two months. Plus, you've been there before."

"Yeah, in my dreams," Nick said. He wanted to say "and in yours if you think I'm stepping one foot in there," but thought better of it.

Kitsune ignored him. He turned to the others and started barking out orders. "This is a rescue mission, everyone. I need a group of capable animals coming with us. Peanut, Sabrina, and Max."

"Wait, why me?" Max asked. He shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "I am the last one you want to go with you."

"That is an odd selection Kitsune," Tarot told him. "You already said that there is nothing in the void so why do you need our help?"

"The white space is an infinite void, and I cannot locate Lisa even with my powers. I will need several pairs of eyes. I need you to stay here and keep watch over the doorway. Make sure it does not close."

"Why what happens if it closes?" Max asked.

"I'll have to open a new one," Kitsune said.

Everyone in the room collectively rolled their eyes at once including Nick. Kitsune continued, "But in case something happens to me, and I cannot open another then we will need this one."

Nick did not like the sound of that. He studied Kitsune for a heartbeat. He knew the fox was hiding something. He could just tell. Turning to face the doorway, Nick could almost sense that this mission would not be as easy as he hoped. The infinite whiteness was so surreal like looking into two mirrors reflecting each other. It was disorienting, but you could not look away.

A paw grasped his shoulder. Kitsune stepped beside him. Nick could feel an unnatural warmth radiating from Kitsune's body. It was not unpleasant more like Nick was laying in the sun on the beach. "Are you ready to do this?"

"I guess I have no choice," Nick said. Kitsune walked ahead of him with Nick right behind.

"Wait a minute," Tarot shouted. "Are you just going in there with no plan or preparation?"

"The longer we wait, the more the void could irritably harm Lisa. Mortals aren't meant to spend a prolonged time in the void. She's been there for two months. Mortals have been driven mad by the void and staring at nothing but nothing for prolonged periods of time."

Nick remembered reading a story by Stephen King once about a situation just like this. A machine had the power to teleport people, but you had to be asleep for it to work. If you weren't then you would spend an eternity staring at endless nothingness. One boy did just that, and when he came out the other side, he was driven so mad that he clawed out his eyes. Nick shook his head trying to dislodge the feeling of dread bubbling in his stomach. That was the last thing he needed to think about right now.

Kitsune stepped through the doorway. Nick was right behind him. When he first stepped on the other side, he was amazed to find that it was solid even though it did not look like there was a floor or "ground." Sabrina and Peanut were right behind them. Max hesitated at the doorway. He stuck his head out and looked around. He waved his paw in the air before slowly inching across the threshold. When they were all successfully in the void, they began walking.

It was an hour before someone asked the obvious question. "How are we supposed to find her? You haven't told us that part, Kitsune," Sabrina said.

"That is a good question," Kitsune said with a shrug. He turned to Nick. "Well, how do we find her?"

Nick clutched his paws together fighting the urge to strangle the fox. How was he supposed to know that? He was following him thinking that the all-knowing Kitsune had the answers. Mainly since he was the one who recklessly charged in without stopping to come up with a strategy.

"You expect me to know," Nick said. "I have no idea where she is. In my dreams, I always popped up near her. She could be anywhere."

"You mean we have no idea where we're going," Max said. He slumped to the ground and wrapped his tail around his legs. He placed his head in his paws and tried to control his breathing.

Sabrina looked like she wanted to say something comforting but held herself back. Peanut turned around in a circle with his hand over his eyes. His tail wagged excitedly like he was having a blast exploring nothing.

"You must have some kind of idea. What about these dreams? Dreams have been known to be powerful messages of foreshadowing. There may be a clue somewhere that you haven't noticed."

Nick did not want to think about the dreams. Whenever he did, he could see Becky locked in that room with the monster guarding her. The idea that might be foreshadowing some horrible future made his knees weak. Then something in his head clicked.

"There was one thing. Before I saw Lisa, I had a different dream." Nick told the others about the dream but left out most of the details. "Then she started speaking in this deep throaty voice. She said…she said…hang on I wrote it down."

Nick pulled out his phone and opened the notes app. Luckily, he put the verse in the note's app on his computer, so it synced to his phone. "Here it is. It was strange. It's all in rhyme like a poem."

"What!?" The others shouted at once. Nick took a step back pressing the phone to his chest.

"Yeah, it rhymes. So what?"

"It could be a prophecy," Sabrina said. "Tarot gave a prophecy a few months ago. Not long before Lisa vanished. This could be exactly what we need to find her."

"What does it say?" Kitsune asked.

Nick read the prophecy out loud. _"Light the way to lover's arms. From the shadows of forgiveness, there will be no harm. Feelings born from across the reaches of time and space will guide the way through the empty place. Scorn comes from the words left unsaid. The dreams and truths emerge from the queen's head. The heir will speak to the father's pride. The Atlas of the stars will then be your guide. Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end. Heart in hand she will illuminate a past hidden. Only to discover the secret of darkness kept forbidden. One becomes two, two becomes one. Only the knight can finish what has begun. The wolf will howl with his last breath. A hero's sacrifice will spare the heavens' death."_

He waited for a response but got none. The others mouthed the words of the prophecy except for Max who was busy examining his claws. He acted like he did not hear it at all. Or at least did not care in the least.

"Heavens' death," Kitsune whispered. Nodding, he looked up at Nick and spoke, "Light the way to lover's arms. I think that is what is important for right now. The rest can wait."

"How is that supposed to help us?" Sabrina asked. "I know you two were a "couple," she said it in a way that made Nick think there was more to the story than he knew, "but lovers is a stretch."

"It does not have to be perfect. Prophecies rarely are. I have faith that this is what we are supposed to do."

"That's great and all but again how is any of this supposed to help us?" Max asked. "Look around. Everything is white. Light is everywhere."

"Not really," Peanut said. "There does not seem to be light as much as we just see everything without really seeing it."

"How does that make sense?" Max shouted.

Nick was about to ask that too. He was growing increasingly frustrated with every passing second. He could be home in his cozy cabin watching TV or back in the hotel with Becky. Instead, he was in a realm of nothingness with a bunch of annoying loudmouth pets. His wolf instinct wanted to crush their bones in his jaws. He forced down the urge and tried to relax. Control was what he needed, but it was something that was hard to obtain. His biggest fear was that one day he would get upset and attack someone. If that happened, then everything he worked so hard to keep hold of would vanish instantly.

Kitsune's eyes flashed a brilliant red. "This is not a riddle." He turned to Nick. "You received the prophecy, so this is up to you. You have to be the light that guides us to her."

Nick relaxed his features, trying to keep his growing urges down and chained up inside him. He crossed his arms and gave the fox a skeptical look. "How do you suggest I do that?"

Sabrina was the one to answer. "I guess all you have to is cast it."

Nick threw his arms in the air. "Is that all?" He held out his paw and said with the most sarcasm he could muster, "That sounds so easy. Okay, so all I have to do is go like this and cast light."

If he was going to continue his rant, he never got the chance. As soon as he said the words his paw glowed with a brilliant burst of light. It started low but grew brighter and brighter until a beam shot from his paw and sailed off into the distance. He moved his arm, but the ray of light kept pointing in the same direction. His mind was a storm of questions and flashes of consciousness. Kitsune nodded with a look of pure amusement on his face most likely trying to hide his laughter that was threatening to burst out from seeing the stunned look on Nick's face. The others were so sincere. Sabrina chuckled with her paws over her face while Peanut had a goofy grin on his face. Max was the only one who was not impressed by Nick's magic trick.

Kitsune pointed into the distance where the light was aiming. "Let's go everyone."

They wasted no time racing to the end of the light beam. It was surprising far, Nick realized as his arm grew tired from holding it out in front of him. He had no idea how long they had been running. Kitsune seemed to have limitless energy. The others not so much. Max had fallen far behind them, and Sabrina was not too far from collapsing. Peanut looked to be keeping up, but Nick could hear the dog breathing heavily.

Luckily for them, something appeared in the distance. In the infinite nothingness, it was hard to tell just how far away it was, but it was easily spotted. The light faded as they neared whatever it was. Soon it had vanished, and Nick let his arm drop. It hung limply from his shoulder.

"Lisa!" Kitsune shouted. The figure came into view. It was definitely the girl from Nick's dream. Everything was still the same as when he last saw her a few nights before. The blonde hair tied in a ponytail, the pink tank top, and shorts. But there was something off about her. She stood slowly and squinted at them like she was not sure what she was seeing. As Kitsune rushed towards her, she tensed like he was a threat. Kitsune slowed down apparently sensing her uncertainty.

"Lisa, it's me. It's us. We're here to take you home," he said. He smiled at her showing off all his teeth. It still creeped Nick out, but it had the opposite effect on Lisa. Her eyes widened, and after a moment of hesitation, she rushed towards him.

Lisa threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kitsune embraced her tightly as she dug her face into his fur. Nick could not help but smile at the heartfelt reunion. Seeing them together suddenly made the entire ordeal worthwhile. He turned as the others walked over to them. Peanut's tail was wagging enthusiastically. He was obviously holding himself back from charging in and joining the hug. Sabrina and Max had smiles plastered on their faces as well but were containing their happiness better than Peanut.

Nick sniffed the air. There was a strange odor all of a sudden. He faced Kitsune and Lisa. There was something wrong. It smelled like decay and ash. They were the same scents from his dream. Lisa lifted her face from Kitsune's fur and turned to the others. She yelped and moved to them. Nick stepped aside as she brushed by him. She embraced Peanut first followed by Sabrina and Max. They exchanged greetings of "Oh my god, it is so good to see you again," and "I missed you so much."

When they were done, she turned to Nick. She gave him a questionable look before recognition appeared on her face. "It's you. I thought you were just a figment of my imagination. You actually brought them here."

Nick nodded. "My name's Nick Powell."

"Thank you," she said. Her eyes dimmed. There was a flicker of movement on her face like she was struck by something from behind. She fell forward but before she hit the ground Kitsune ran over and caught her.

"Lisa!" They all said at once. "What's wrong? Look at me." Kitsune examined her but could not find any source of why she suddenly collapsed.

Nick leaned over and tried to help. From all appearances, she was completely healthy despite two months of no food or water. There was something off though. Something you wouldn't notice unless you looked at her carefully. Her skin had a latex appearance and was very pale. Her hair was brittle and dry. Nick touched her arm but instantly drew back. She was so cold like a corpse.

"What's wrong with her?" Sabrina asked.

Nick knew the answer. "She's dying." The others looked at him, startled. "Can't you smell it?" Their expressions gave told him that they couldn't. Made sense. He had a better sense of smell than all of them including Peanut.

"We need to get her out of here," Kitsune said. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She did not move or even twitch as she was lifted up. "She's been in here too long. Seeing us must have drained what little energy she had left."

"Well, just snap your fingers and open another door," Max told him.

Kitsune raised his paw and snapped his fingers. Everyone waited for something to happen, but nothing appeared. No door or portal or anything kind of exit. Nick glanced around expecting something to appear, but there was nothing.

"Should something be happening?" Nick asked.

"That's not good," Kitsune said.

"You can say that again," Sabrina said. She pointed at something in the distance and screamed. "What's that?"

Nick turned and saw what she was pointing at. He instantly wished he hadn't. Coming towards them was a black cloud of smoke or dust. Nick had seen sandstorms on National Geographic. This was similar but more malevolent. It almost seemed alive like it knew they were there and was going after them.

"Run. Now!" Kitsune screamed. He ran off without waiting for the others. They did not waste any time before sprinting back the way they came.

Nick did the worst thing possible and looked behind them. The black cloud was getting closer. They could not outrun it. It was going to swallow them, and Nick did not want to think what would happen if it did.

"You're a god!" Max shouted between breaths. "You're all-powerful can't you do something."

Nick drew his brows together. Was Kitsune a god? He stored that bit of information away for a time when they were not about to die.

"The void is interfering with my powers. It does not want to let Lisa or the rest of us leave."

The way he talked about the void made it sound like it was alive. Nick looked behind him again. The black cloud looked more like a tsunami speeding towards them Any second it would crash on top of them, and they would drown in the darkness. Thinking about it made Nick think it really was alive. Kitsune left out that bit of information.

"I think I have an idea." Kitsune snapped his fingers. They disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Nick opened his eyes and looked around. They were away from the smoke cloud but still in the void. He pricked his ears and listened for anything that could be a threat. All he could hear was the sound of heavy breathing coming from the animals. Lisa's breath was fading. She did not have much time. The excitement was killing her faster now. Kitsune could sense it too. He held her tighter against his chest.

"Are we safe," Peanut asked.

The fur on the back of Nick's neck stood up. He turned and could see the cloud of smoke moving towards them. It was coming from a different direction than before. Worse was it was coming from multiple directions at once like it was trying to trap them.

"Run. Run!" Nick screamed and took off. Kitsune and the others were not far behind him. He had never run so fast or so much in his life. If he were still human, he would have collapsed from exhaustion long before now. This was one of the few moments he was thankful to be a wolf. His endurance was much greater than humans.

"Look for the doorway," Kitsune shouted.

Nick did as he was told. He looked around for the glowing portal, but there was nothing around except whiteness and the ever-encroaching black cloud. He tried to listen for the voices of the animals back in the house hoping that they were loud enough to hear from here. But that too was useless. Never in his life had he been so scared.

"There it is! I see it!" Max shouted. He pointed at a small speck of light in the distance. Nick could have hugged the cat. They all turned and moved towards the speck.

As they grew closer, the speck grew into a spark and then into a doorway small enough for a mouse. The black cloud could apparently see it too because it was moving towards it as well. With a jolt, Nick realized that cloud was going to try to cut them off from the doorway. If that happened, they were dead. They put on a burst of speed feet stomping on the ground as they flew. Nick pushed ahead of the rest of them. His long legs made it easier for them. He was so close. His pulse started to beat harder inside his neck. With a quick look, he checked on the others progress. They were not going to make it. The cloud was gaining on Max and Sabrina. They were smaller than the others, and Max especially was not in the best shape.

Cursing himself, Nick slowed down just enough so he was running beside Max and Sabrina. With two swoops of his arms, he grabbed them both and tucked them under his arms before sprinting back towards the gateway. Kitsune was the first to cross the threshold. Peanut was not far behind him. The dog dived bombed into the living room. The cloud was so close that Nick could feel its presence nipping his tail. Max screamed that they were not going to make it. Nick was not about to die like this. His mind flashed to Becky probably waking up at that moment wondering where he was. She needed him, and he needed her. He loved her too much to die like this.

Nick twisted his body and threw the cats through the doorway. Sabrina landed elegantly on four feet while Max face planted into the carpet. When Nick was only a few feet away, he slid towards the door like a baseball player sliding towards home plate. He crossed back into reality and with one swift kick slammed the door shut seconds before the smoke reached them.

He collapsed on the floor, panting heavily. The adrenaline was wearing off, and he felt like he could sleep for a month. He tilted his head backward and watched as Kitsune laid Lisa on the couch. He barked orders at the rest of the pets to get her some food and water. They did not waste time before moving to the kitchen. The rest stood around Lisa gaping like she was some rare treasure.

Kitsune looked away from Lisa and smiled at Nick. "Thank you."

Nick raised his shaking arm and gave a thumbs up before passing out.

When Nick woke up, the first thing he noticed was that he was laying in something very soft. He felt around his body and could feel a leather cushion supporting his entire body. His eyes opened slowly and as they adjusted to the glaring overhead light. The rest of the animals were huddled around Lisa who was sitting up and talking. She had a blanket wrapped around her and a bottle of water in her hand. No one paid any attention to him which was just fine. He did what he set out to do. His body ached all over, but he was happy. Nick closed his eyes and listened to the conversation between Lisa and the others.

"I can tell that you all are hiding something from me," Lisa said. "Where's Rowan?"

Even without seeing it, Nick could feel the tension in the room spike. He could imagine the faces and awkward glances they were exchanging with one another. Rowan was the guy she kept calling for, Nick thought. What is going on?

"Lisa, when you disappeared," Tarot said. "Something happened. It affected us all, but Rowan was hit the hardest."

"What do you mean? Did he go back home?" Lisa asked. Nick could hear the sadness creep into her voice.

"We don't know. After we came back from Tartarus Rowan was changed. We don't know how or what it means. He just vanished."

"What do you mean changed?"

They told her what he said and what he looked like. Lisa gasped and whimpered. Nick opened his eyes again and saw her heartbroken expression. Tears rolled down her cheeks as everything she once knew was gone.

Nick stood outside the house while everyone continued to watch over Lisa. He figured it would be better if she were allowed to rest in private, but the rest did not think the same. It did not matter to him. His mind was on something else. There was something he had not stopped thinking about since he got out of the void. A buzzing sound came from his pocket. He reached down and pulled out his phone. "Becky" flashed on the screen as her ringtone rang out disrupting the tranquility of the neighborhood.

Nick knew this was coming. He pressed the answer button and raised the phone to his ear. "Hello there."

"Where are you?" Becky shouted. "I woke up, and your bed was empty. You know you're not supposed to wander off without me. What if animal control caught you?" Nick listened and waited until she was finished scolding him.

"Some things have happened. It's hard to explain. I need a favor. I'm going to stay here in Babylon Gardens for a while."

"What?"

Nick thought of a way to explain the situation without getting her hopes up. "Yeah, I talked it over with Keene Milton. He agreed to let me stay in his mansion as long I work on the novel. Apparently, they really are desperate to have it completed. I told them I would have the entire thing finished and ready for publishing by the end of the year."

"Nick that's only three and a half months. It took you longer than that to write the last few chapters," she reminded him.

"I know I can do this." He looked back at the door behind him. On the other side as the one person who could help him. At this point, he would do or promise anything if it meant getting what he wanted. "Do you trust me?"

Nick heard her draw a deep breath. "I do trust you. I just hope you know what you are doing."

He paused before saying, "I love you, Becky. You know I would do anything for you. For us."

"I know Nick." She lowered her voice, "I love you too." With that, she hung up on him. Nick slid his phone back in the pocket. The way she said it made Nick think she was lying. It didn't matter. If his plan worked, then she would definitely love him again.


	4. Chapter 4: Everything is Normal?

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 4: Everything is Normal?

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from Lisa**

**What is normal? There was a time I thought I knew the answer. That was before I came to live in a world that I once believed was just a webcomic. Before a malevolent god tried to use my friends and me as part of his scheme to escape his eternal prison. A time before I became a celestial goddess and sacrificed myself to stop him. There was a time when I was not trapped in an infinite realm of nothingness and my friends had to come to save me. So many things have happened to me. Right now, I'm back to living in the Milton Manor, home of the billionaire ferrets. Staying with me is a bestselling author who is also a wolf who was once human. Things change, and this is the new normal. There is one thing that I cannot accept as normal. Rowan is gone. When I disappeared after the battle with Drasil, he changed and then vanished. No one has seen him for two months. I can't help but fear that whatever happened to him is going to affect us all. **

The lights cast an eerie glow on the dance floor. Crowds of teenagers moved back and forth in perfect choreographed movements. Lisa looked around for something familiar. Where was she? She looked down and realized she was wearing a sparkling blue dress. Her prom dress? This wasn't her prom, but it did seem so familiar to her. The DJ stopped the music and as if on cue, everyone on the dance floor stopped. They looked at him as he tapped on his computer. The music began again, but this time it was slower, sadder.

I am not the only traveler  
Who has not repaid his debt  
I've been searching for a trail to follow again  
Take me back to the night we met  
And then I can tell myself  
What the hell I'm supposed to do  
And then I can tell myself  
Not to ride along with you

"Can I have this dance?"

Lisa turned around to see who spoke. Standing behind her wearing a crisp tuxedo was Rowan. His ordinarily messy hair was brushed as it glinted I the fluorescent lights of the gym. He held out his hand waiting for her to take it.

Lisa felt like her heart was about to explode. Since she returned from the void, everyone had try to hide the fact that Rowan was gone. Kitsune told her about what he said before he left. She knew that there was a darkness within him. But the Rowan standing before her now had none of that darkness. All she could see was light. This was her Rowan. The best friend who stood by her side during even the worse days of her life.

"Rowan, I…" She didn't finish the thought. Her hand intertwined with his and they slowly moved to the center of the dance floor. The crowds parted to let them through. No one watched them as they moved in perfect rhythm to the music. That was fine with her. She did not want an audience for this.

I had all and then most of you  
Some and now none of you  
Take me back to the night we met  
I don't know what I'm supposed to do  
Haunted by the ghost of you  
Oh, take me back to the night we met

"I've missed you," Rowan said softly. His voice barely audible over the sound of a hit song. Lisa wondered if she was even supposed to hear it.

"Rowan, I don't understand. Where did you go? The others…they told me." Lisa tried to speak, but the words would not come out. It was like they were trapped in her throat. Did she not want to know the answer?

Rowan pulled her closer to his chest. Despite all the years they've known each other, they never had a moment like this. Lisa thought back to when she met him. He was just a kid in her eyes. An eighteen-year-old kid being picked on by some bullies. She felt the immediate urge to protect him like he was some abandoned puppy. Looking at him now, that kid was now a man. She looked at his eyes as they glowed in the pale blue light reflected off her dress.

"Do you recognize this?" he asked her.

Lisa turned her head and looked around. It was so familiar. A high school dance but it was not her high school. That song…

When the night was full of terror  
And your eyes were filled with tears  
When you had not touched me yet  
Oh, take me back to the night we met

"Is this the dance from "Thirteen Reasons Why?" Lisa asked. "Why are we here?"

Rowan's smiled faded. He pushed her away from his body. Lisa tumbled slightly before regaining her balance in her high heels. The other people were gone. The music still played but the tone changed becoming sharper like nails on a chalkboard. A shadow passed over Rowan's face. Lisa looked up to see that the lights were going out one by one.

"Why?" Rowan asked. "Why did you leave?"

That was a question that Lisa wanted to ask him. "I had to do it. I did it to save you. To save everyone." She clenched her fist. "Where did you go, Rowan? I should be asking you where you went." In her head, she asked, "Why weren't you there to save me?"

"I'm sorry," Rowan whispered. Lisa could not see his face anymore. Shadows were obscuring his entire head. "This is the only way."

"The only way to do what?" Lisa shouted. "Rowan, talk to me. Tell me what's going on." She gestured around the gym with a wave of her arm. "Why are we here?"

The music grew louder.

I had all then most of you  
Some and now none of you  
Take me back to the night we met  
I don't know what I'm supposed to do  
Haunted by the ghost of you  
Take me back to the night we met 

"Rowan, please. Talk to me!" Lisa screamed, but her voice was drowned out by the song. She covered her ears to block it out, but it was like it was being played directly into her brain. The lights came back on all at once. It was so bright that she had to squeeze her eyes shut to avoid being blinded.

"You want to know why," Rowan said.

The music suddenly stopped. Lisa wanted to open her eyes, but something held her back like she was too afraid of what she might see. Slowly, she removed her hands from her ears. Footsteps moved closer to her.

"You are the reason why. That is the one and only reason. I did this because it seemed the most fitting. I wanted to show what happens to those you leave behind."

"Rowan," she said and opened her eyes. He was standing directly in front of her. "I don't understand."

She looked at his face, and a scream got caught in her throat. His face was the same, but part of his face was completely black like it had been burned. Scorch marks surrounded his left eye and stretched to his ear. The eye was the worse. The pupil had grown gigantic, taking up most of the eyeball and surrounding it was a glowing ring of gold. It emitted an unnatural glow that reeked of malice and hatred.

He grabbed her shoulders, his iron-tight grip digging into her flesh. She wanted to move away and escape, but she was frozen. When he spoke, his voice was like ice. Harsh, deep, and so cold. "You left me."

Lisa woke up and glanced around the room. The lamp next to her bed was on the lowest setting casting a pale light around her room. Everything was the same as the day she left for Tartarus. The Milton's had not touched a thing despite not knowing if she was ever coming back. Not even a speck of dust settled while she was gone.

Her body felt so cold despite the warmth of the thick covers surrounding her body. It was one of the things she requested when she returned to the mansion. That and a light that she could keep on all night without being too bright. She could not sleep in total darkness. After spending two months in a realm of nothing, she had to be able to see everything.

Her arms automatically moved to her shoulders. Lisa could still feel where Rowan gripped her. It was like his hands were still there. Only they weren't his hands because that was not Rowan. She did not know who or what that was, but it was not the boy she spent the last four years with.

She checked her phone. 3:33 a.m. Her head was aching as she slid out of bed. There was something she needed to see. She opened her bedroom door and slowly moved down the hall. The bedroom beside her was closed. There was a light coming from beneath it which told her that the occupant was awake despite the late hour.

Knocking on the door, Lisa waited. She could hear someone moving towards her on the other side. Her heart began beating in anticipation. Was it all a dream?

The door opened and stood there with a confused look on his face was a large dark grey wolf.

"Lisa? What is it? You know it's the middle of the night, right?" Nick asked.

Lisa tried to hide her disappointment. Of course, it was Nick. The Milton's agreed to let him stay in the mansion while he worked on his novel. They gave him Rowan's room since he was no longer there to occupy it.

She looked at him, trying to think of an excuse for why she disturbed him. Even though he led the mission to save her from the void, she knew nothing about him other than what the others told her. He was wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants. It took her a second to remember that Nick was not a real wolf. The god Pan turned him into a wolf after Nick drank from his spring. He had lived in the woods with a cougar for the past four years while he wrote his first best-selling novel.

"I was hoping I could see Rowan's things," Lisa requested.

Nick gave her a skeptical look. "Now?" Without waiting for a real answer, Lisa barged past him. "Sure come on in," he said not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.

Lisa scanned the room. Nick's computer was open on the desk in the corner. A word document was still up. She walked over to it and read a few sentences. "You're working on your book in the middle of the night?"

Nick walked over and slammed the lid shut. "I have to finish it by the end of the year. No better time to start than right now. It still needs some work before I can call it finished."

Lisa glanced at the dresser. A few shirts were sticking out of the top drawer. On top of the dresser was a framed picture of a happy couple. At first glance, someone might think it was the picture that came with the frame. However, Lisa knew better. She picked it up and held it out for Nick to see. "Is this you and Becky?"

Lisa knew that Nick was engaged to his publishing agent, Rebecca Goulding. They were supposed to be married, but when Nick was turned into a wolf, the wedding was put on hold. Nick nodded and tried to stop himself from knocking the picture out of her hand. She placed it back down on the dresser. The rest of the room was pretty boring. A suitcase stood in the corner, but nothing else in the room seemed to belong to him.

"What did you do with Rowan's belongings?" Lisa thought back to when they first moved in. Rowan made no attempts to hide her personal touches to the room. He made it his own.

"If you mean the stuff that was already here when I got here, I put it all in the closet." He pointed to the closet door on the other side of the room.

Lisa walked past him and moved toward the closet. Her hand hesitated over the handle. Steeling herself, she opened it up. Like Nick said all of Rowan's things were neatly stacked on top of each other. The entire closet was filled with a menagerie of Rowan's personal belongings. From his suitcases, clothes, and even his computer and tablet. The last remnants of him, unceremoniously hidden away. Lisa's heart hurt to look at it.

A small picture stuck out of the suitcase. She reached down and pulled it out. Seeing it almost made her collapse right there on the floor. It was the same picture she took with him and their college friends, Ashley and Jackson. Their smiling faces stared back at her.

"If you don't mind me asking," Nick said padding closer to her. "What was your deal with Rowan?"

Lisa stuck the picture in her pocket and turned to him. "What are you talking about? We didn't have a deal."

Nick raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"

"He was my best friend for four years. I miss him, that's all." Even as she said it she didn't believe herself and could tell Nick did not believe her.

Nick flashed a smile. "I don't have many friends who come barging into another person's room in the middle of the night to look at someone's stuff. Cody's my best friend, but I wouldn't go into his room even if you paid me."

Lisa quickly thought back. Cody was the cougar that was currently living with Nick in his cabin. It was a strange relationship, but everything about Nick's life was strange. Who was she to judge?

"Rowan and I are different. He's missing, and I need to find him," she said.

Nick crossed his arms and set on the bed. He did not take his eyes off her. "You're dating Kitsune right?"

Lisa opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. To be honest, she did not know what her and Kitsune's relationship was. He came to rescue her from the void and even before that they were getting close. However, she never called him her boyfriend. Could you also date a celestial fox god?

"I'm going to take your silence as you aren't sure," Nick said.

Lisa nodded glumly and set on the bed beside him. She folded her hands in her lap, not sure what else to do with them.

"Becky and I started dating in college. I was so nervous about asking her out. Even after I did, I was not sure where we were on the relationship scale. It wasn't until she called me her boyfriend I knew. That was when I knew I was going to marry her." His voice changed to a growl as he continued, "Before this happened." He held up his claw and examined it in the light.

"I don't know if Kitsune considers us an item," Lisa told him.

"I remember him saying you were his girlfriend back before we went into the void. I could be wrong, but that was at least the impression I got."

Lisa was speechless. Did he call her his girlfriend? More importantly, did she feel the same way? "Why are you telling me this?"

Nick sighed. "Because you have feelings for Rowan." Lisa was about to argue, but Nick cut her off. "You come in here to look through his things. Every time someone mentions his name you get this look in your eyes like your about to crawl into a ball and sob. And…" he hesitated. "When you were in the void, I kept dreaming about you. I had these dreams for weeks before coming to Babylon Gardens."

She knew about the dreams. They were the reason that Nick, Kitsune, and the others were able to find her. "I don't remember much about being the void. It's just figments and flashes now." It was true. She was thankful for that. The last thing she wanted was to remember what it was like back there.

"Most of them were the same. You kept screaming for Kitsune and Rowan to come to save you." He turned to her. His dark eyes shone with a hidden secret. "But you always called Rowan the most. His name was the loudest and the strongest. I think deep down you wanted him to save you the most."

Lisa's jaw dropped. It was like Nick handed her this bomb and told her to take care of it. She did not remember any of that. Her strongest memory was when Kitsune appeared in front of her. She remembered being so happy to see him but thinking about it now, was there a slight disappointment that Rowan was not there.

"I'm just saying." Nick shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know what you are Rowan was like. I just met you a day ago, and I don't know who Rowan is. I'm the last person to give relationship advice." He yawned showing off his massive teeth.

"I'll leave you alone," Lisa said standing up. "I need to get back to sleep and so do you." She moved to the door but stopped. "Thanks. For letting me bother you."

Lisa went back to her room. Behind her, she could hear Nick's door shut. She laid down on the bed and pulled out the picture from her pocket. Holding it up to the light, she kept staring at Rowan. Nick's words swam around her head like an angry piranha. She knew that he loved her. He told her that back in July. She said to him that she did not feel the same way and broke his heart. Now looking at the photo, she wondered if she had lied to him and herself.

Nick's phone rang in the pocket of his jeans. At first, he thought it was Becky checking on the progress of the novel. He had been living in Babylon Gardens for a few days now and made little progress. He still found himself slamming his head on the keyboard instead of typing on it. Thankfully, the ringtone was not Becky's. Unfortunately, it was Cody's. Nick got him one after the night the cougar got lost in town.

"What is it," Nick said holding the phone to his ear.

"Well, good morning to you too, sunshine. Someone is a grumpy puppy today," Cody said mockingly.

"What do you want, Cody?" Nick hated when Cody referred to him as some dog or animal. Cody knew how to get under his skin or fur depending on how you looked at it.

Nick walked down the sidewalk, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from the humans and pets he passed. Even after a week, people still looked at him like he was some savage creature. He tugged at the collar around his neck. It was embarrassing for him to have to wear it but as long as people kept thinking he was just a large dog; he was safe from animal control.

"Can't a friend check in on another friend without some ulterior motive. I've missed you. This cabin is pretty lonely without you constantly moping around about your book or the curse."

Nick rolled his eyes and bit back the urge to crush his phone in his paw. There was a slight sound coming from the background. If Nick did not have wolf's hearing, then he may not have heard it at all. "Cody, what's that sound?"

"What sound?" Cody asked too fast.

"That sound in the background." Nick began to recognize it. He growled into the phone and said, "The one that sounds like a smoke alarm!"

"Oh, yeah. The smoke detector has been doing that for almost haft an hour now. I had to go outside because it was killing my ears. Quick question, how do you turn it off?"

"Did you set something on fire!?" Nick screamed. An elderly woman paused to stare at him from across the street. Nick kept walking, faster now. He was safely out of the neighborhood and on his way into the city.

"…No," Cody told him. "Okay, yes. I tried to reheat a pizza in the oven, and the box caught on fire."

"You tried to cook a pizza while it was still in the box?" Nick asked. He stopped dead in his tracks. His tail flicked back in forth in an angry manner. "You have lived there long enough to know that you don't do that. How could you be so stupid?"

"Hey, feelings," Cody said pretending to be hurt by the insult. "Besides you never let me use the oven. You were the one who did the cooking that involved heat. The most you let me do was the microwave."

"I seem to remember that you set a chocolate bar on fire the first time you used it because you did not bother to unwrap it. We had to get a new one."

"That was on you for not telling me that tin foil catches on fire in the microwave," Cody told him.

Nick sighed. "I don't have time for this." He started walking again. "I'm late for a meeting with Lisa and Kistune."

"Speaking of those two, how is it leaving in Ferret Manor?"

Nick knew Cody was trying to change the subject from the fact the kitchen was most likely destroyed. "It's fine, I guess. They have a butler that does anything I ask. Of course, the ferrets don't like it when I use him. The pets are nice, a bit strange though. I've been keeping to myself and working on my novel."

"Do I want to know how that has been going?"

"No," Nick snarled. "Lisa is all right. There was a weird moment the other night. I was up late working on the book when she comes into my room. She wanted to look at Rowan personal belongings. You know, that guy I told you about. The one that used to stay in my room. Anyway, she got all weird and emotional about him. I was not sure what I was doing. I think I may have made things awkward between us."

"A late night sleepover," Cody said in a playful tone. "Should I be worried about you? Does Becky know about the two of you? Maybe I should tell her."

"One, nothing happened. It was like a ten-minute conversation. Two, Becky is not the jealous type. Three, she has a boyfriend. Kitusne, remember. I told you about him."

"Yeah, what is he again?"

"A nine-tailed fox, and apparently some kind of god or something. The entire thing is strange. From what I've heard the entire neighborhood is full of weirdos and strange occurrences. It's like being in an episode of 'Stranger Things.' I keep excepting some kind of monster to pop up sooner or later and take control of someone."

"Sounds like fun. Maybe I should come to visit sometime.

"You might as well. There's even an entire family of wolves living in one of the houses. They've lived there for nine years now. Feral wolves. I would not believe it if I did not see it."

"You know I don't like wolves," Cody said. Nick rolled his eyes. "I mean you don't count. You're human as you like to remind everyone."

"And I pay for your food and pay the bills, so you don't have to go back living in the forest," Nick reminded him.

"Hey, I'm doing you a service living with you. You would go crazy living in the cabin by yourself. I can go back to living in the forest any time I want. I can take care of myself."

Nick smiled. It was devilish grin that he reserved for special moments like this. "Oh really. Okay then, I leave you to figure out how to turn the smoke detector off yourself then."

"Wait…!" Cody shouted, but it was too late. Nick hit the "End" button and disconnected the call. Just for good measure, he turned the phone off completely.

The mall he was supposed to meet Kitsune and Lisa at was much smaller than Nick was expecting. Growing up near Chicago, he was used to massive structures with gleaming arches and at least three stories. Glittering tiled floors or red carpets with the occasional charging station for people's phones. Stores and fancy food stalls that catered to the elite or the casual foolish tourist who wanted to experience the good life. They got all kinds of country bumkins every weekend.

The Three-Squares Mall Lisa told him to meet her at that morning had none of those things. It was two stories, and the most extravagant thing it had was a small movie theater that was owned by a company Nick had never heard of before. At least this place allowed pets to wander around without their owners as long as they had a leash. Nick pulled is out of his pocket as he neared the doors. He wrapped it around his neck so he would not look too ridiculous. The end dangled down his chest looking more like a strange necklace than a leash.

As he made his way through the mall, Nick could not help notice the looks that everyone was giving him. He had a pretty good idea what they were thinking, and it wasn't that he was good looking. Even half breeds had terrible reputations. Nick felt the slow burn of anger start in his stomach. At least no one was bothering him. In fact, they were all keeping their distances. In the corner of his eye, Nick could see two women whispering to each other as they purposely moved closer to the wall like he was a pesky makeup salesman trying to force them to try a free sample. Stuffing his paws in his pants pockets, he lowered his head and stared at the floor as he walked.

Where was the food court?

A large sign overhead gave him the answer. An arrow pointed down the left hall. As he followed it the smells of fried food hit his nose. His mouth began to water as he moved closer. There was something else in the air too. The acrid smell of coffee. The source of the scent was from a bookstore. Nick was curious. He had not been into an actual bookstore in years. If he needed a book, he would order off Amazon. Several patrons were coming in and out of a store called "Book Barn." Nick had heard of it before but did not realize it was so large. Two stories of bookcases greeted him as he entered. The smell of paper and ink burned his nose but at the same time relaxed his nerves. He felt home surrounded by literature.

The coffee shop drew his attention as he wandered around the store. "A coffee shop inside a bookstore? Whoodathunkit?" Nick read aloud. Rolling his eyes, he responded, "I don't know Barnes n Noble and Books a Million come to mind." So far he was not impressed with the Book Barn.

The exit beckoned him. As he made his way out of the store, Nick paused and glanced down at a table with a sign that read "YA Bestsellers." Sitting in a large stack was his book "White Fox." Walking over, he stared down at the cover. His character Todd was looking back at him with the smug smile that Nick himself argued for with the publisher. Nick smiled to himself. He had never seen his book in an actual store. It was still surreal seeing it next to books like "Children of the Moon" and "Gods and Beasts."

He picked up the book and flipped to the back cover. His author's portrait stared back at him. He felt a sharp pain in his heart. The picture was of his human self. He sighed and closed the book.

"Can I help you with anything?" A voice asked. Nick was so distracted that he did not realize that a young girl had walked up to him. Nick raised his eyes to the tag attached to her chest. "Sally" it read. She had on the green apron of the store employees. At first, Nick thought she was going to accuse him of stealing or ask him to leave, but her face was sincere.

"Umm," Nick struggled to speak. He had still not gotten used to talking to other humans. Most of his social interactions lately involved pets. "No, I'm just browsing."

"That's an excellent book," Sally said pointing at "White Fox" still in Nick's paw. "I've read it like twenty times."

A fan, Nick thought to himself. He smiled slightly and asked, "Really, what was your favorite part?"

"I think it was when Geneva found out that Todd was human. Her reaction is priceless."

Nick thought back to that scene. It was one he struggled to write for several days. It was the most crucial scene in his mind. He finally found inspiration by remembering how Becky reacted when she first saw him with fur. Since Geneva was based on Becky, it was a simple process. In the end, Nick practically used Becky's exact words in the scene.

"Yeah, that's a magnificent scene," Nick said.

"I can't wait for the sequel. I keep checking the publisher's website, but there's still no word. Rumor has it that the author is struggling under the pressure of coming off of his first bestseller," Sally said.

Nick's face darkened. "I'm sure he is," he said and placed the book back down. Without another word he brushed past Sally and left the store. He didn't stop until he hit the food court.

Fortunately, Kitsune and Lisa were easy to spot. Kitsune's fur was like a blond beacon that shone throughout the entire area. The fluorescent lights seemed to be shining right on him or what that just Nick's imagination. Lisa saw him walking towards him and waved. Nick pulled out a hard metal chair from the table and set down. Lisa was eating a large plate of Japanese food. Nick was not quite sure what it was. Kitsune was sipping a large Peach Milkshake. Nick could not help but notice that two straws were sticking out.

"What took you so long?" Lisa asked before taking another bite of food. "We were going to wait before we ordered."

"That's all right. I'll get something in a minute." Nick scanned his options and so far was not impressed. The restaurants were either the usual generic options found in every mall from cheap Asian food to overcooked pizza.

"Have you guys been here long?" Nick asked.

"Not too long. We spent some time walking around and doing some window shopping," Kitsune said. He stuck the straw in his mouth and took an extra-long sip of his milkshake. Was it just Nick's imagination or was the milkshake not getting any smaller? Nick looked at the fox. He was wearing a red plaid jacket and burnt orange shirt underneath. He only had one tail this time, so Nick figured that he was trying to pass for "normal." How normal was a six-foot-tall fox in a mall?

"How do you guys know each other anyway? I mean how did you meet?" Nick asked.

Lisa and Kitsune exchanged an uncomfortable glance. Lisa was the one to speak. "You know that I'm from another world, right?" She lowered her voice as if afraid someone would hear her and locked her away for sounding insane.

Nick nodded. He learned that from the other pets as part of his debriefing.

"Peanut told me about that. He also said something about a comic? What was that about?"

"Where I'm from, the pets are featured in a webcomic series. That is how I know so much about them and the events that have taken place over the last decade. Apparently, the author, Rick, uses a magic ring to watch the pets and then records what happens."

Suddenly the sensation that someone was watching him overwhelmed him. Nick looked around like he would suddenly see a massive eyeball peering down at him from the glass ceiling. And they were okay with that? Nick would be freaking out if he knew that someone was recording his every action then sharing it online.

"Are there other comics like that?" Nick asked.

Lisa opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted. "Excuse me."

Nick and the other two looked up to see a tall red merle Australian shepherd wearing glasses standing over them. Like Nick, she had a collar on, but hers had a carrot hanging on it. "Have any of you seen a black rabbit wearing a trench coat and fedora?" she asked.

Before any of them could answer, another dog rushed over. This one was a blue merle Australian shepherd with a Pokeball tag dangling from his collar. "Nicole, I found him," he said. "But I lost him again. I think he's somewhere on the second floor."

"Kade, how could you lose him?" The dog named Nicole pinched her forehead before noticing what the other dog, Kade, had in his paw. "What is that?" she asked pointing at Kade's paw.

"My phone," Kade said and tried to hide it but was not fast enough. With blinding speed, Nicole snatched what Nick realized was a phone from Kade's grip.

She held the phone up to Kade's face and said, "You were playing Pokémon Go again." Kade snatched his phone back before Nicole continued. "You were supposed to be looking for Harvey not legendary Pokemon."

"I had to. There was a raid battle going on," Kade told her, but Nicole did not have it.

She grabbed Kade's wrist and pulled him away. She turned back to Nick and the others and said, "Sorry for bothering you."

When they were out of sight, Nick turned back to Lisa and Kitsune and said, "That was…odd."

"That was," Lisa said. "What were we talking about? Oh yeah, are there other comics like "Housepets!"?" Lisa thought for a moment then said, "I don't really know. That was always Rowan's thing. He was way more into comics than me. There was one comic he tried to get me to read. "Savestate," I think it was called. I never did though."

There was a sense of sadness in her voice that Nick noticed was always there when she or anyone else mentioned Rowan's name. That is what they were there to talk about. How to find him. The problem was, Nick did not know where to begin. He had never even met the guy.

Lisa leaned back in the metal chair and stared blankly at her food. Kitsune opened his mouth like he was going to say something but stopped. Suddenly, a song rang through the air. It was so loud and sudden that Nick pressed his hands over his sensitive ears. Lisa pulled out her cell phone and checked the screen. Her brow furrowed as she answered.

"Fox?" she asked. "What's going on?"

Nick couldn't hear what was being said, but Lisa's eyes widen as she listened. After less than a minute Lisa hung up and turned to Kitsune with a look of utmost concern on her face.

"We have to go back to Babylon Gardens," Lisa shuddered. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "It's Rowan. He's back."

It took an instant for Kitsune to transport Lisa and Nick back to the neighborhood. Lisa had experienced the sensation before, but it was still unnerving. Nick, unfortunately, was not prepared. As soon as they popped in the neighborhood, he bent over someone's bush and vomited. Lisa wanted to check on him, but something drew her attention. One of the houses was on fire. It was not just regular fire either. This one was a blackish purple color.

"What's going on?" Lisa said slowly.

"Lisa! Kitsune!" Fox ran up to them panting heavily. He bent over and tried to catch his breath. His fur was blackened with soot and smoke.

"Fox, what's going on? What happened here?"

"Rowan, he did this," Fox told her, almost choking on the words like they were refusing to come out. "He's here, but there is something wrong."

Fox pointed down the road where a group of pets was standing. The fire burned nearby but what had their attention was the cloaked figure standing in the middle of the road. Almost mindlessly, Lisa walked toward the figure. As she neared him, Rowan pulled back the hood that obscured his face. Lisa covered her mouth with her hand. His face was just like the others described and as she saw in her dream. His left eye was golden, and part of his face had turned black like he was burned.

"Rowan…"

He looked right at her but said nothing. There was nothing to be said. She recognized his expression. It was the same one he had on the Fourth of July.

"_I would do anything for you. I will always protect you. You know deep down that your relationship won't last which is why you want to be with him. What you feel for Kitsune is not real. But I'm real. My love is real."_

_Lisa looked right at him and said, "I don't feel the same way."_

She broke his heart, and that was something she always regretted. Now he was looking at her the same way. He lifted his arm like he was trying to reach out to her. His lips mouthed the word, "Lisa," like he was not sure what he was seeing.

"Rowan, I'm here. I'm back. Everything is going to be all right."

A tear ran down his cheek from his normal eye. His face suddenly changed becoming dark and hard. The effect was instant. Lisa felt a surge of fear spread throughout her body. An alien sensation overcame her as if some primal instinct was screaming for her to run. This wasn't Rowan. Lisa felt a presence appear next to her. Kitsune placed his paw on her shoulder but kept his eyes trained on Rowan.

"Rowan is dead," he said. His voice was wrong. It sounded like two people were talking at the same time. "I am only what remains of him. I am Revenant."

"Revevant," Lisa whispered. "Rowan, what are you talking about."

His golden eye glowed brightly as he raised his hand and pointed it at her. A purple flame appeared and launched itself at her.

Lisa stood there frozen as the fire headed directly towards her. "Get down!" She felt her body violently pulled to the side, and she fell on the asphalt. There was a loud bang followed by the sound of screaming. Lisa looked up to see the pets begin to disperse and take cover. A few peeked out of their hiding places to watch.

"That's demon fire," Kitsune said pulling Lisa to her feet. She glanced at his face. Kitsune's usual carefree demeanor was gone and replaced by an expression of complete focus and fury. "How did he get that power?"

He wrapped his arm around Lisa's stomach and kept his paw on her shoulder like he was trying to keep her from running to Rowan. Part of her wanted to, but her feet would not listen.

"What did you do to my house?" cried an angry voice.

Everyone's attention was suddenly on the person who shouted. Bino marched towards Rowan growling and showing his teeth. Lisa had never seen him like this. He usually was too much of a coward. Nick followed behind Bino only to take place beside Kitsune and Lisa. His eyes also were trained on Bino who was almost directly in front of Rowan.

"What is he doing?" Nick asked. "Is he nuts?"

"I don't know," Lisa told him. Then she shouted, "Bino, get back. You don't know what he's capable of. You're going to get yourself hurt."

"The only one getting hurt here is him," Bino shouted and pointed at Rowan. "I'm going to tear your throat out." With that last word, Bino jumped at Rowan mouth open and eyes full of madness.

In an instant, Rowan caught Bino by the throat with one hand. Bino struggled and tried to break Rowan's grip, but it was useless. He clawed Rowan's flesh, but there was not even a white mark on his skin. Rowan stared at Bino with little interest. He turned to the others watching in horror.

"Let this be a warning of what is to come." Red lightning engulfed Rowan's hand and spread over Bino who howled in pain. No one moved to try to save him. They were frozen in shock. After a few seconds, Rowan released Bino who fell on the road with a heavy thud. His fur stood up on end in large spikes.

Fox was the only one brave enough to step forward. He reached out to Bino, "Are you all right? Bino, say something."

Bino turned around and charged at Fox like a rabid animal. His eyes were glowing red. He tacked Fox to the ground and mercilessly mauled the husky. Fox who was usually stronger than Bino was rendered helpless. A few other pets rushed over to try to pull Bino off of him. When they got close, Bino growled and bark and attacked anything that got to close. Even the larger dogs were entirely taken by surprise by Bino's strength and savagery.

"Rowan!" Lisa screamed as she turned to face him. He was gone. There was nothing left where he was standing a minute ago. She broke free from Kitsune's grasp and ran to where Rowan was standing. Kitsune and Nick followed.

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know," Lisa said. She turned back to the brawl behind him. "Nick can you stop Bino. Kitsune can you track him or something?"

Nick did not waste a moment before racing down the street. Kitsune, however, hesitated before shaking his head. "I can't find him. Even without this power he has now, I couldn't find him. You both are still outside my realm of power." He turned to the fire still burning. "I can do something about that." With a snap of his finger, the fire was gone, and the house was back to normal. There was no trace of damage.

"What about Bino?" Lisa asked. Nick had successfully pulled Bino off of Rex and kept him in a tight grip, but that did not stop him from trying to bite and scratch anything close to him.

"I can't. Whatever power Rowan or Revenant used to corrupt him is beyond me. We will have to wait for it run out on its own."

Lisa took a sharp intake of breath. "Rowan, what have you done."

Nick, Lisa, and Kitsune made their way back to the Milton Manor to try to come up with a strategy to deal with Revenant. They successfully locked Bino in the basement of the Wolves' house with the Wolves keeping watch over him. They were told to call Lisa if there was any change.

"What is the plan?" Nick asked. "I'm assuming we have a plan and we are not simply winging it. I mean you both saw that right? He destroyed an entire house and could shoot fire from his hands."

"I don't know what's wrong with him," Lisa said coldly. "How could this happen?"

"He's been corrupted by dark magic," Kitsune said. They both looked at him. "When you destroyed Drasil, I think some of his power must have entered Rowan's body. Why that happened, I'm not sure. He would have had to be compatible to take the energy like a vessel."

There was so much about Rowan, Lisa did not know. He always seemed so happy and carefree. She would never have thought there was so much darkness within him. Was this her fault? "You left me." His words rang in her ears.

When they reached the door of the mansion, it flew open on its own. Standing there was Simon, panting with scorch marks on his fur. "There you are. Where have you been? We got attacked."

"What?" Lisa asked and rushed past the ferret. The others followed. The entryway seemed fine. There was no damage. "Tell us what happened," she said to Simon.

"We were watching TV when all of a sudden we heard this booming sound coming from the storage room. We went to check it out, and Rowan blasted us this black fire. Everything was set on fire. We were lucky to escape with only some tinged fur."

They were led down the halls to the storage room. Lisa had only been there once before. It was where Henry Milton and Keene kept all the important ancient papers and artifacts. Most of which regarded Pete's temple which was now a pile of stones. The smell of smoke hit them like a bulldozer. The walls were black as they moved closer. Lisa pulled her shirt over her nose to help with the smell. Nick did the same and kept both paws over his face. Everything was gone. Nothing remained but piles of ashes and burnt pieces of stone and woods. Twisted metal hung from the ceiling.

"Why would he do this?" Lisa asked. "Did he take anything?"

Simon shook his head looking defeated. "We won't know until Keene gets here and someone cleans this mess. He would know what is what. Until then I can only assume he was after something left our Dad."

"Why would you say that?" Nick asked.

"I was the first one here. I saw him sifting through a box of our Dad's. One Keene like to use a lot. He pulled out this leather book like a journal."

"Dad's notes on the temples and their legends."

They all turned to see Keene walking towards them. Scowling, he looked at the damaged room. After a few moments, he sighed. "There is nothing left."

"I can fix this." Kitsune snapped his fingers again, and in a flash, the room was completely restored.

"Handy trick, but can you return what Rowan stole?" Keene asked like he already knew the answer.

"No."

"I thought so. Whatever Rowan is up to has serious consequences for all of us. I've looked through that journal several times before," Keene said as he began walking away. With no other choice, the others followed. They made it to Keene's former office where he sat behind the desk once again. He folded his paws together and stared at the others. "I've read that journal several times. I can't pretend to understand half of what my father wrote. He took extensive notes on the temple he brought here as well as mentions of others."

"Other temples. The only other one we know about is Dragon's in Egypt," Lisa said.

"That may be true, but he wrote about more than one. How many I can't be sure."

At that moment, Kitsune's eyes lit up. "He couldn't."

"What is it, Kitsune?" Lisa asked.

"There are other temples beyond Pete's and Dragon's. It is the only thing that makes sense for how Rowan got so much power so quickly. He must have found Drasil's temple."

"Drasil's temple!" Lisa shouted much too loudly. "Drasil had a temple all this time. Why didn't you mention this before?"

"He and his brothers each created temples in this world. This was back before Drasil was Drasil. He and his brothers feared Dragon and Pete. They collected mana from Yggdrasil and stored it in case they would need it to defend themselves." Seeing the questioning looks on the others faces, he explained. "As you know, Drasil was my friend. He confided with me about his brother's plan and asked for my assistance. I was the one who told him about this world. I told him that this would be the safest place for their temples. This was before the Game started."

"If Rowan were corrupted by Drasil, it would only make sense that he would be led to his temple."

"I can only assume he will use whatever information Henry Milton had in that journal to find the locations of the remaining three temples. He must be after the mana that is being kept there."

"Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end," Nick spoke up suddenly.

"What was that?" Lisa asked.

"The prophecy or whatever. That was a line. I think it might be referring to these other temples you are referring too."

"Right, now Rowan had a finite amount of magic."

"Like with Res. After he destroyed the Forgotten. All the mana was gone, and so was his power."

"Exactly." Kitsune nodded. "The problem is that if he can collect enough mana at once, then he will able to transcend to divinity."

"What!?" They all shouted in unison.

"He'll become a god but more powerful than the rest of us. We are bound by the laws of the universe and heaven. Since Rowan is human and not even from this realm so such laws will not bind him. He will be able to do whatever he wants without consequence."

"That's insane," Nick shouted. "How are we supposed to stop someone like that."

"Are there any other lines that might be useful from the prophecy?" Lisa asked.

Nick pulled out his phone and reread the prophecy. _"Light the way to lover's arms. From the shadows of forgiveness, there will be no harm. Feelings born from across the reaches of time and space will guide the way through the empty place. Scorn comes from the words left unsaid. The dreams and truths emerge from the queen's head. The heir will speak to the father's pride. The Atlas of the stars will then be your guide. Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end. Heart in hand she will illuminate a past hidden. Only to discover the secret of darkness kept forbidden. One becomes two, two becomes one. Only the knight can finish what has begun. The wolf will howl with his last breath. A hero's sacrifice will spare the heavens' death."_

Lisa thought for a moment replaying the lines over and over in her head. Her eyes fell on Keene who was physically shaking in his chair. He was trying to stay calm but was not succeeding. He was obviously scared.

"The heir will speak…" Lisa whispered. "That's it! We don't have the journal, so we have to go to the source. We have to talk to Henry Milton himself."

Lisa opened her eyes. A cool breeze blew around her carrying the scent of flowers and fresh dew. The grass beneath her tickled her skin as she laid in the shadow on a large tree. Tilting her head, she could see a castle in the distance. Why did this seem so familiar to her?

"Do you like it?" someone asked next to her.

Lisa instantly sat up to see Rowan sitting beside her. He turned to her, but his face was normal. There was no trace of the darkness that she saw earlier that day.

"Rowan, what's going on?"

"You always told me that you loved this scene from the comics. Remember the dream King had before Pete took Bailey away. I thought it seemed fitting for this moment."

"Rowan, please. Let me help you. You are not evil. Dark magic is corrupting you. The more magic you get, the worse it will become." She grabbed his hand, but he pulled it away.

He smiled at her, but there was no joy there. His face was full of only deep sadness. "I love you, Lisa. Always remember that. I won't be able to talk to you again after this."

"Rowan, please," she pleaded

A tear rolled down his cheek again. "I always loved you."

Lisa woke up from the dream. She sat up and looked around the room. It was like it always was. Her chest ached as she felt her heart begin to break inside her.

"I love you too." She covered her face with her hands and cried.


	5. Chapter 5: Heaven Help Us

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 5: Heaven Help Us

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from Fox**

**Things have gotten crazy lately. I mean more insane than usual. We all thought after the incident with Drasil that things would calm down, but instead, they got worse. Ever since Lisa came back from the white space, things have gotten weirder. First, a wolf appears in Babylon Gardens who was apparently a human before and is also an author. He and a few others brought Lisa back from the white space. Then Rowan appeared in the middle of the neighborhood and started destroying everything. We haven't seen him since he disappeared after we all returned from Tartarus. He changed somehow. He used this dark energy to corrupt Bino, who was already messed up and turned him into a feral monster dog. We all know that this is just the beginning. So now Lisa, Kistune, Breel, Keene, and I are heading to heaven to talk to Mr. Milton and find out some answers about what is going on. Honestly, I don't know how much more of this I can take. I somehow keep getting dragged into these messes. I guess I just a good friend.**

Lisa thought she was ready to see heaven. She always wondered what it was like after seeing the pictures of it in the comics. She imagined it would be this glorious place that no piece of comic art could ever capture. She was so excited to see it for herself. Then they began to climb the stairs.

No one said anything as they walked, but Lisa found that she was increasingly growing exhausted and wondered if everyone else was feeling like their legs were about to fall off. Step by step the moved through the sky. No matter how long they walked, it felt like it would never end. Occasionally, she would glance at her companions. For this mission, she and Kitsune decided that they would need a small group of "experts." That meant those who had been to heaven before. Fox and Breel were the obvious choices. Of course, they needed Keene since Lisa believed that he was a part of the prophecy.

The prophecy was the reason she was even doing this. To help distract herself from the growing agony coursing through her legs, she kept reciting it in her head. She wished Kitsune was there with them. Since he was a god, there was no need to take the staircase himself. After he summoned it or asked Cerberus to summon it, Lisa was not sure how that worked, she asked him why he couldn't snap his fingers and whisk them up there.

"I can't just send mortals to heaven whenever I want. I'm not one of the Reapers, and that goes against the rules," he told her before disappearing himself.

Rules. One day she wanted to see this list of rules. An all-powerful god limited by rules, it sounded so ridiculous. Of course, that was one of the problems they were facing with Rowan. Lisa's heart ached with the thought of him. Their last meeting was not significant. He destroyed several houses and sent Bino into a maniacal rage. Kitsune told her that he had been corrupted by dark magic, but she felt that there was something more to it than that. She just was not sure what. Now he called himself Revenant and wanted to collect enough mana to become a divine being but one that was not confined by these "rules."

"Ughh!" Lisa groaned loudly. "How much longer is it. I feel like I'm about to collapse right here and now."

The others looked at her like she was crazy. She was sweating despite the cold air of the upper atmosphere. The others seemed perfectly fine. They looked like they were just taking a leisurely stroll through the park instead climbing a seemingly infinite staircase through the sky.

"How are you guys not tired?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know," Fox said glancing to the other two. "Maybe because we've all been there before, so we're used to it."

"Actually, I know what is going on," Breel said. "It's harder for humans to reach heaven than animals."

Lisa stared at him with her mouth hanging open. "You mean that is literal instead of some kind of moral metaphor about humanity. It is literally physically harder for humans to get there." Breel nodded. "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"What is stupid is how long this is taking," Keene said stomping his foot on the golden stair he was standing on. "When I came before it was like I just popped there. Why is this taking so long?"

"You almost drowned before, remember," Breel said lightly nudging Keene's shoulder. The ferret blushed and pretended not to notice.

"Now that you mention it, when King and I came it took a while. He was pretty exhausted to until he changed back into a corgi," Fox said looking at Lisa. "Maybe you can do that. We should be close enough for you to decide to change your appearance."

"No thanks. Like King, I like my body to remain consistent," she said gesturing at her body.

"Enough talking and more walking. I would like to get there before we die and this becomes a one-way trip."

They continued their way up the staircase with Lisa struggling to keep up. She was still out of shape from being trapped for months in the White Space. She kept telling herself that after this she would start working out. She was sure the ferrets had a gym of some kind in their mansion. It was like a rich person cliché to have a mansion that was never used for its intended purpose.

"There it is," Breel shouted and pointed at something hovering above them.

Lisa looked up and saw that the stairs ended at a large cloud bank with a golden wall made of pure light rising above it. The Gates of Heaven. She flashed back to the comic. It was true, she realized. There was no way to capture what it honestly looked like in such a simple format. Feeling new energy, Lisa charged ahead of the others. She needed to see it for herself.

Suddenly all the tiredness and exhaustion dissipated as she moved toward the large white doors. Part of her expected Cerberus to be there or someone to be guarding it. She remembered those few times she went to church with her parents that Saint Peter was supposed to be guarding the gates. There was no one here. Lisa reached out and pressed her hand on the gates. They were warm like the sun. She could feel the divine energy humming through them. Holding her breath, she pushed them forward. She tensed as the light of heaven poured over her. At that moment, she remembered the comics again. It was Cerberus said, "The Gates swing outward never, but it's recommended to stand back on your first arrival!"

"Oops," she thought, but it was too late. She was instantly blinded by the light that exploded from the gates. She screamed and fell backward holding her hands over her eyes. In the comic King and Fox wore sunglasses. Now she realized that was not just for a joke but actually something that would have been helpful right then.

Wandering blindly, Lisa felt herself slip off the bank of clouds. Suddenly there was nothing but empty air beneath her feet. She could feel the air rush past her as her body was once again caught in gravity's nasty grip.

"Ahh!" Lisa screamed as she started to fall. She was glad she couldn't see what was happening. If she was going to die, then at least she did not have to watch it happen.

"Gotcha," someone said as a furry hand wrapped around Lisa's wrist. It was so warm and familiar. Lisa was lifted back onto the clouds just as her vision began to reappear. Standing in front of her was a familiar fox. Kitsune smiled at her, his eyes warm like the autumn sun. Lisa's heart began to beat faster the way it always did when he was near her. But there was more to it recently. Guilt clawed at her chest whenever they were together. She never told Kitsune about the dream she had the other night where she saw Rowan, and he said to her that he loved her. How she woke up in tears and confessed that she felt the same way. The truth was that she did have feelings for Rowan that she was unsure of. Losing him was like losing a limb. You never realize what you had until it was gone and then you would give anything to have it back by your side.

"Good thing I was waiting by the gates for you guys," Kitsune said letting go of Lisa's arm. She quickly hid her expression of disappointment that he stopped touching her with a look of excitement that he was there with them now. The others appeared from the staircase behind Kitsune. Each one wore a pair of sunglasses. Lisa fought the urge to roll her eyes.

Breel was the first to speak, "You shouldn't run ahead like that. This area can be dangerous for mortals.

"I realize that now," Lisa told him.

"Well, we're all here now. So who wants the grand tour?" Kitsune asked. They all moved towards the Gates again. This time the light was less blinding and almost normal.

They stepped through the gates, and Lisa was floored by the sheer majesty of it all. Everywhere she looked there were humans and animals of all kinds of races and species talking and walking side by side. The strangest part was the overall sense of tranquility that seemed to penetrate everything. It was something she never realized was in the moral world until it wasn't.

"A tour is all good and all, but we do not have time for silly distractions," Keene said crossing his arms against his chest. "We've all been here before except for one," he added noticing Lisa's annoyed expression.

"Keene's right," Fox said. "The last time I came it was six months. We don't have that kind of time if Rowan is out there causing chaos and growing stronger."

Lisa hated to admit it, but they were right. She looked around at the different buildings and shops. Everyone seemed so happy. It reminded her of the time she went to Disney World for spring break only a hundred times better and less expensive.

"True but there is a small problem," Kitsune said. "It seems that Henry Milton is quite a busy man right now so we won't be able to see him right away."  
"What!?" They all shouted in unison.

"How can he be busy?" Lisa asked not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice. "It's heaven. There should be no such thing as busy."

"He can't be too busy for his son," Keene added.

Kitsune held his paws up to calm everyone down. "I'm sorry, but it's out of my hands. I cannot decide what anyone does or doesn't do here. This place was designed for perfect freedom and pleasure. As such Mr. Milton has a role here."

"A role? What kind of role?" Fox asked.

"He is in charge of human and animal relations." Kitsune's tone was casual like it was the most normal thing to say.

Lisa opened her mouth to speak but could not think of anything to say that would capture the sheer insanity of what Kitsune just said.

Thankfully Keene did not have such a problem. "What kind of human and animal relationships. This is heaven. Everyone is getting along already. That sounds like some kind of made up job to make someone feel important and boost their self-esteem."

Kitsune's eyes lit up like he was enjoying Keene's reaction. "Things in heaven are not perfect without work. You see there are those who are not thrilled to be in heaven and have to go through an adjustment period." Lisa glanced at Keene who looked suddenly embarrassed. "You see there are those whose life was not great and might not be comfortable around animals. Those who harbor a lot of resentment towards them for example." This time he glanced at Fox who nodded. Lisa knew Kitsune was referring to King. Back when he was still Joel, he loved animals, but they did not share the same feeling. That caused him to make some poor life choices that ended him up in jail more than once. It wasn't until Pete turned him into a dog that he came to have a better understanding.

"There are those who have had an even harder time. What are we to do with anyone who was killed by a wild animal and finds themselves surrounded by the very creatures that cut their life short."

"I never thought about that before," Breel said. Keene and the others nodded.

"So now you know why Henry Milton's job is so important. As someone who devoted his life to peace between animals and humans, he is the perfect candidate to handle such a task. And that keeps him busy. But don't worry I set up an appointment so it shouldn't take too long before we see him."

"I guess we'll take that tour after all," Lisa said.

Kitsune smiled at her. "Great, there are several places I want to show you. It can be our first…" Suddenly he was cut off by someone screaming his name at the top of their lungs.

"There you are. I have been looking for you everywhere. I am so tired of you running off to do whatever you want. Don't you realize how much work it is having to clean up after you and your antics."

A tall woman wearing a long white dress stepped up to Kitsune. She towered over him with a face that reminded Lisa of an angry mother. She had jet black hair tied in in a bun that resembled a knot. Below that she wore silver owl earrings that hung from her ears. As Lisa stared at them, she swore that the owl's eyes were staring back at her.

"Minerva, what can I do for you?" Kitsune asked nervously.

"Wait. Minerva like the goddess of wisdom?" Lisa asked.

Minerva looked down at her, and her gray eyes darkened. "That is correct. I see that you brought your mortal friends here." She pressed her fingers to her temples and rubbed them. "What have I told you about interfering in the lives of mortals?"

"Keep them out of trouble and never interfere with their fates," Kitsune said calmly.

"That is true but not what I told you. I said that interfering with mortals is unwise and will only cause problems. Look at what happened to Veðrfölnir and Níðhöggr."

"Pete and Dragon?" Lisa asked. She remembered Kitsune mentioning that they were known as the bird and dragon that sat at the top on Yggdrasil in legends, but she never heard anyone use those names before.

"Yes, those too," Minerva said not bothering to look at Lisa. "That Game of their caused nothing but trouble and who had to clean it up. Me. Who had to deal with the Fates after they were made mortal because of that ridiculous deal they made. Me. Now here are you again causing me nothing by trouble by once again interfering in the lives of mortals. And now I see that you are dating one too."

"Like you don't occasionally fall for a mortal down on Earth. There are legends and books filled with the stories of your children," Kitsune said in a harsh voice.

"That is different. You are not human and a different type of god than most. That means that the rules are different for you."

Kitsune took a deep breath and slowly spoke. "What do you want, Minerva. I can't imagine you came down from your silver throne to scold me about Pete and Dragon or my love life."

Minerva's eyes darkened so much that they were almost black. But they instantly changed back to gray as she spoke. "I need you to come with me to the address the nature gods. Demeter is stalling, but the other gods are getting restless. We all can sense the disturbance in the universes. Yggdrasil is starting to be affected by what is happening back on that little world you are so fond of. Not to mention the…" She stopped and looked at Lisa the others who were not bothering to hide the fact they were ease dropping. Minvera started whispering, but it was still loud enough for everyone to hear. "You were the last one to see _it, _so you have to reassure everyone that _it_ is not a threat."

Lisa noticed Kitsune's fur starting to stand on end. Whatever this 'it' they were referring to was it was not good.

"Sorry, Lisa but our date will have to wait. This is important. I'll see you guys when it's time to meet Henry Milton."

Date? That is what he was referring too. Lisa blushed and tried to hide it from the others. She could feel their glares piercing her back. They watched at Kitsune walked away with Minerva until they both vanished in the crowds.

"What do we do now?" Fox asked.

"I don't know about you two, but Breel and I have a date with a massage," Keene said talking Breel's hand. Before the marten could respond, he was being dragged off towards one of the more extravagant buildings on the block.

"I guess you probably want to go find Summer and Spring and see what they are up too," Lisa asked turning towards Fox. He blushed and avoided eye contact.

"Kind of." It was no secret that the only reason that Fox volunteered to join the group was to visit his sort of girlfriends. He had not seen them since the end of his adventure in Pete's Temple. "Oh dog, don't look now."

Lisa looked anyway at what Fox was staring at. Across the street from where they were standing was a small café. It seemed out of place surrounded by so many different types of exotic buildings. It looked like a simple café someone would go to if they were too good for Starbucks. It had peppermint striped owning and two white tables with umbrellas with the same peppermint design. The place seemed deserted except for one middle-aged woman sipping coffee and reading.

"That woman? What's the big deal?"

Fox looked at her and shook his head. "That's King's mom."

Lisa said nothing. It was like someone had stolen her ability to speak. Only on very rare had King mentioned his mother and the only time anyone had seen her was in the minuscule scene where they talked and even that small moment was full of awkwardness?

"King's mom. How do you know?" Lisa asked not taking her eyes off the woman.

"Well, I saw them talking when we came here a few years ago. It was not pretty."

Lisa frowned. "What happened? The comic was not very clear. They only said two things to each other."

"I shouldn't say. It's not my place," he said rubbing the back of his head nervously. "He never talks about his parents and for a good reason."

Lisa knew what that reason was. Even though it was never spoken of in the comic or by King himself, it was common knowledge that his parents were not the best. There were several opinions of them online and something Rowan liked to talk about sometimes.

"I'm going to go talk to her." Lisa started walking over to Mrs. Robinson who was still reading her book and oblivious to the fact she was being watched.

"What!?" Fox grabbed her arm. "You can't do that. What would be the point? You can't change what happened between them. She's dead, and King has moved on with his life."

"King is not here." Lisa pulled her arm out of his grip. "This has nothing to do with you either. Go find Spring and Summer. I'm sure they will be thrilled to see you."

"You don't know the whole story," Fox said. "I don't know it either, but when I saw them together, she ran off crying. I don't know what King told her and he would not tell me. It was not my business. I know it was not good."

"I had no idea," Lisa said shifting her gaze between Fox and Mrs. Robinson. She had already made up her mind, and there was not going back. There was something she wanted to say. "I'm still going. This is just something I have to do."

Fox sighed. "Fine. Do what you want."

He stormed off leaving Lisa alone. She couldn't worry about Fox's feelings right now. Her mind was a storm of emotion and anger that was about to erupt if she did not do something to stop it. Lisa marched over to where Mrs. Robinson was sitting. Not taking her eyes off the woman, Lisa remembered her own mother. How cruel and insensitive she could be.

"Um, excuse me, Mrs. Robinson." The woman looked up from her book and glanced at Lisa. An expression of annoyance passed over her face as she slowly closed her book. Lisa glanced at the cover. It was "Twilight" of all things. She was into those books as well back in high school but grew out of it once she went to college.

"Can I help you," Mrs. Robinson said. Her voice was sharp and cold. It made Lisa think of a storybook stepmother who comes into the child's life only to slowly ruin it.

"I'm a friend of your son's," Lisa said sitting down across the table without waiting for an invitation. "Can we talk?"

Mrs. Robinson's face hardened making it unreadable. But Lisa could tell mentioning Joel had set something off in the woman.  
"Let me guess. You're here to scold me about how I'm a terrible mother, and everything that happened to Joel was my fault."

Lisa opened her mouth to reply but stopped herself. That was precisely the reason she was there.

"Your face says it all." A vague expression passed over her face as her voice shifted from cold to sad. "I know what my son must think of me and tells his friends about me. It is no secret of how he feels about me. He told me as much to my face."

"What did he say to you? I know you too spoke a few years ago, but I don't know what was said," Lisa asked.

Mrs. Robinson said nothing for a minute and only stared at Lisa like she was trying gage her intention from looking in her eyes. "The gist of it was that he didn't need me and that he was able to 'overcome the crap his father and I put him through.' He told me that he finally had a real family and was happy for the first time in his life."

Lisa could feel the sting in those words even though they had nothing to do with her. She looked at Mrs. Robinson's eyes and saw they were glistening with tears. She was on the verge of crying.

"What did you say to him?" Lisa asked.

"I told him that I was glad he finally found his place in the world and I was glad that it was not prison again. Not the best response I admit, but I was furious with him. He did not take it well. He can be so much like his father sometimes I swear it's like talking to the same person. He complained and cursed me and told me that it was my fault that he ended up in prison in the first place."

"I have no idea what he did to be arrested the first time," Lisa admitted.

"It's not my place to say," Mrs. Robinson said. "After that, I was beyond words. I couldn't even look at him. So I left, and that was the last time I saw him."

"I'm sorry." Never did Lisa think those words would come out of her mouth. "But I have to ask though why weren't you a better mother to him growing up."

Mrs. Robinson raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't have children do you?"

"No, but I do have a terrible mother who I hate so I know where King, I mean, Joel is coming from."

"Let me ask you this then," Mrs. Robinson said leaning on her hand. "If your mother is so terrible would you abandon her when she needed you most?"

Hearing those words brought back that day. The argument between her and her mother. The yelling and how Lisa stormed out of the house in tears. Coming back almost at midnight to find the house dark. Lisa standing in the kitchen over her mother's body collapsed on the floor. The empty bottles lying next to her. Lisa running over to the phone on the wall and dialing 9-1-1. Her finger hovering over the send button.

"I don't like to think about it," Lisa said solemnly.

"Being a mother is hard. You need to understand something about Joel. After the incident when he was a child, he was never the same."

"He said that it was because you mistreated his pets," Lisa pointed out.

"I never wanted pets. I never really like animals. They were always so much work. It was like having four children instead of one," Mrs. Robinson said leaning back in her chair.

If you think that is rough imagine having to deal with pets who can't talk or even open the door by themselves, Lisa thought to herself.

"My husband decided it would be good for Joel to learn some responsibility. He was always pushing him to be better. To be more like him. All the camping trips they dragged me on. All the late nights. It was exhausting. I will admit I struggled to keep up with raising Joel. He was the most important thing to me, so when it came to the pets, well they were less important."

"Why not just give them to another family or something?"

"I wanted to do that many times. But Joel would have had a fit if we got rid of them. My husband would not hear of it. He was and still is such a stubborn man. He was the reason for what happened not me. Joel blames both of us. He told me so himself before I died. I should have stopped it. I should have done more." She sighed. "He was right of course. I should have done something. Anything to stop what happened. Of course, you must know already about that night. They ran away and took Joel with them. He was so young. He didn't know any better. The worse part was that it was not just the animals' fault."

"What happened," Lisa asked carefully.

"My husband and I were having problems. It was so bad that divorce lawyers were called. I had enough, and I was going to take Joel away from that man. Joel must have sensed it even though we never told him our plans. We both took our frustration out on both Joel and the pets."

Lisa remembered the scene when young Joel was shown comforting his cat. They were both looking at something out of the scene. She now realized what it was.

"After that, they all left. They took Joel and disappeared," Mrs. Robinson said.

"Why did it take a week?" Lisa asked.

Mrs. Robinson placed her elbow on the table and cradled her head in her hand. "It was hard. You have to understand that. We were both so angry at each other that we couldn't decide what to do. I wanted to call the police, but my husband did not want to involve anyone else. He said that the last thing we needed was to end up on the eleven o clock news. If word got out and our skeletons were revealed to the world, then they would take him away from us for good. We would lose custody. How do you imagine it would look if the headline "boy is kidnapped by neglected pet" spread around? We would be mud to everyone. So we tried to find them ourselves. It was useless. The longer we looked, the angrier we became. Finally, we broke down and called the police. Hours later they were found. The animals were taken by animal control, and we had our son back."

"But he wasn't the same," Lisa said. Rowan flashed through her mind. Everything he did for Dakota. People did desperate things for their family.

"He never forgave us." She shook her head. "We promised we would be better and we tried. We worked through most of our problems and promised to stay together for as long as Joel needed us. Things didn't help when we had to move. I thought moving away from that city would be better for us all. A fresh start away from those memories. Joel grew sour and cold over the next few years. When he left for college, I hoped he would find himself, but he dropped out. That was it. We had to do something drastic."  
"You kicked him out," Lisa said remembering the comic Rowan showed her a few months ago."

"We thought it was for the best. Away from us and our problems, he could find himself. Only he got himself arrested, and after that, my husband cut off all ties with him. I tried to reason with him, but by that point, it was too late. My life was ending, and I died knowing my son and husband would never forgive each other."

"I don't understand. Why didn't you explain all this to Joel when he came here? The first thing you said to him was "It looks like your father won that bet after all."

She sighed. "It was not easy seeing him like that. I know he loved animals but to become a dog."

"That wasn't his fault. He was kidnapped by a demigod and forced that way!" Lisa screamed.

"I know. I heard about what happened after he left. But seeing him after all this time and knowing what I did to him and what I couldn't do for him. I didn't know what to say. By the end, he just unloaded years of hate on me. I let him." She gestured to the scenery around them before continuing. "You see; time here allows one to reflect on our lives. I realized that I failed him. It still hurt when he told me that he was happy with his new family but we couldn't give him the family he needed. If I could go back, I would make things different, but we can't turn back time. There is no way to make up for the things I did to him."

"I still think you should try," Lisa told her.

Amusement flickered across her face. "What about you? You said that your mother was a terrible person but shouldn't you try to make amends." Lisa opened her mouth to respond, but Mrs. Robinson continued. "Take it from someone who had to watch her son grow up feeling like the universe was against him. It's hard being a parent and we make mistakes. But forgiveness works both ways. I would give anything for Joel to forgive me for what I did to him. I sit here every day waiting for him to walk through those gates again just so I can tell me that I'm sorry and I love him."

Lisa thought about her mother but did not know if they could ever get along after so many years of conflict between them.

"He has kids now. Three puppies. Rook, Olive, and Ace," Lisa said.

"Grand-puppies. Well, it's better than nothing," Mrs. Robinosn said with a sly smile.

"It wasn't your fault you know. About what happened to him." Lisa was not sure she should tell this woman the truth about what really happened but hearing her story made Lisa feel sorry for her. "Joel and his pets were being manipulated by a fallen god named Drasil. He was the one who manipulated the pets to kidnap Joel just so he would grow up to become the key he needed to regain his freedom."

"Was it really just his fault though? If I did more to help, maybe none of this would have happened."

"You can't think like that. You can't keep waiting for him to come back. He will get here on his own time but waiting day after day…that isn't going to help anyone. I think Joel will forgive you one day. But only when he is ready."

"What about you? When do you think you'll be ready to forgive your own mother?"

"I don't know." Lisa's face turned somber as she thought about her mother. She had not spoken to her in months. Partly because he was lost in a realm of nothingness and because she simply did not want to. "I don't know if I can."

"It looks like your friend is back," Mrs. Robinson said nodding to something behind Lisa.

Lisa turned around to see Kitsune walking over to them. His bright smile faded as he noticed who Lisa was sitting with. A knot of guilt wound itself up in Lisa's stomach. She was ashamed to be caught talking to King's mother especially given her history with her own mother. Kitsune would know what she was doing.

"I better go," Lisa said not making eye contact with Mrs. Robinson. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"Before you go," Mrs. Robinson said as she looked at Lisa. Lisa forced herself to look at the woman's face. Somehow she suddenly looked older, more damaged. "Here's some advice. If you want to understand someone you need to know where they come from."

Lisa furrowed her brows. Was she talking about King or herself? Standing up, Lisa rushed to Kitsune before he could reach the café and make things even more uncomfortable.

"What was that about?" Kitsune asked. There was no judgment in his voice, but Lisa could tell he wasn't asking out of pure curiosity.

"Just something I felt like I needed to do." Lisa quickly tried to change the subject. "How was the meeting with Minerva."

Kitsune's ears sank. "About as well as I imagined it would be. The other deities are riled up. I don't know what Minerva was expecting me to do. I can barely keep Pete and Dragon in line, and now I'm expected to corral everyone else."

"You sound like you could use a vacation," Lisa said grabbing his arm. "How about we go on that 'date.'"

He smiled at her, and she could feel the guilt that was building up inside her melt away. He was like a sun that could wash away all the dark thing that lurked in her mind. As they walked down the road, the conversation with Mrs. Robinson seemed like a bad dream or a distant memory that got locked away with all the others.

"How much longer is this going to take," Lisa asked. She tapped her fingers on her knees impatiently.

Fox, Keene, Breel, and Kitsune were sitting beside her as they waited outside the least heavenly hallway Lisa could imagine. It was like waiting to see the dentist. Hard metal chairs, cold AC blowing down from the vents, and blank walls with paintings that Lisa was sure were designed to provide comfort but instead made her question art in all its forms.

They were still waiting to see Henry Milton. Kitsune got an alert on his 'phone' although it looked more like a crystal slab that told him that it was almost time for their meeting with Mr. Milton. The worse part was that it interrupted what could only be described as the best date Lisa had ever had.

After her impromptu conversation with Mrs. Robinson, Lisa and Kitsune did a whirlwind tour of heaven. At one point they were literally riding a whirlwind that was one of the rides in one of the ten thousand amusement parks in that realm of heaven. When Lisa asked Kitsune about the different realms, he brushed away the question by saying that if he tried to explain it, her head would explode. Lisa was sure he was joking but did not want to take the chance. Instead, he took her to ten ice cream parlors, two water parks, five amusement parks, one haunted house because she was curious, and two picnics in the park.

"Why is this taking so long?" Lisa asked again. The others were biting their tongues to keep from snapping at her. They too were having good times before they got called here by Kitsune.

"I don't know," Keene said. "Dad is always busy it seems. It shouldn't take too much longer."

As if on cue, the door opened, and a female ocelot stepped out. Never before had Lisa seen such a cliché looking secretary in her life. It was like someone took every tv secretary cliché and slapped them on an anthropomorphic ocelot.

"Mr. Milton will see you know," she purred.

Lisa and the others stood up and followed the cat into the office. It was much different from the room Lisa remembered from the comic when Keene met with Henry Milton. When she asked Kitsune about it, he told her that room was designed specifically for Keene's sake, but this was Mr. Milton's actual office.

"Wait a minute, this looks exactly like the office back at the manor," Lisa shouted.

It was true. The office had the exact same red walls and carpet. The bookcases were in the exact same places, and there were even the same paintings on the wall. Even the desk was the same.

"Keene, my boy! There you are." Lisa turned to see who spoke. Sitting in the leather chair on the other side of the large mahogany desk was a small tan ferret wearing glasses. Lisa instantly recognized Mr. Milton from the comic. She had never seen what he looked like as a human which she thought was strange considering she was living in his house.

Mr. Milton jumped from the chair and walked to Keene. They threw their arms around each other. It warmed Lisa's heart to see them like that. It reminded her of her father still trapped somewhere waiting for her to rescue him. She looked away and wiped the tears from her eyes before anyone could see. When she turned around, she noticed Kitsune's left eye was looking at her, but it quickly looked away.

"Breel, good to see you," Mr. Milton said moving to Breel. They shook hands before embracing in a tight hug. "Taking care of my boy and keeping him out of trouble."

Breel rubbed the back of his head with his paw. "I'm trying, but you know who he can be."

"Hey, I heard that!" Keene shouted looking embarrassed.

"Don't I know it," Mr. Milton said moving away from the Marten.

"Dad! Breel!"

Mr. Milton ignored him and moved to Fox. "Ahh, you must be Bill's boy. I haven't seen you since you were a puppy." He extended his paw and Fox took it.

"It's nice to meet you," Fox said.

Mr. Milton passed Kitsune and walked directly in front of Lisa. "Who is thing fine young lady. I do not believe we have met before. Kitsune where have you been hiding this one, you sly fox."

Lisa bent down, so she was closer to eye level. She suddenly wished Mr. Milton would change to his human self so this would be less uncomfortable. "It's nice to meet you," Lisa said extending her hand. Mr. Milton grasped it in both paws and grinned at her. There was a sparkle in his eye that reminded her of her own father. That kind that said that this man could be trusted. "My name is Lisa. Lisa Smith."

Mr. Milton's smiled faded, and he abruptly let go of Lisa's hand. "Smith. You wouldn't happen to be Adrian Smith's daughter would you?"

Upon hearing her father's name, Lisa's blood turned to ice. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared blankly at the ferret. "How…how do you know my father?"

Mr. Milton stepped back looking scared like he said something that he shouldn't have. He glanced up at Kitsune looking for help. From the corner of her eye, Lisa could see Kitsune looking equally uncomfortable.  
"What aren't you telling me?" Lisa demanded. She looked from Kitsune to Mr. Milton. "If you know something then tell me. Where is he?"

Mr. Milton sighed and walked back to his chair. He leaned forward and placed both arms on the desk. "I can't tell you much. I made a promise to your father that I would not divulge his secrets to anyone."

"How do you even know him?" Lisa shouted. "He wasn't even from this world."

Mr. Milton shook his head. The charisma was gone. "I can tell you how I know him, but that's it. He once visited me at my manor asking for help with something. He was looking for something. This was several years before I died. He wanted information, not unlike you. I did what I could to help him. He stayed with me for several days before leaving. We actually became pretty good friends." He looked up at Lisa who was visibly shaking. "He gave me something that I think you should see."

He opened the top drawer of the desk and pulled out a small picture not much bigger a wallet size photo. He slid it to the edge of the desk. Lisa walked over and looked down at the image. It was her and her father during her eighth birthday. She was wearing the tiara that he gave her. She remembered having this taken. Suddenly she remembered what happened a few days later. Her father told her that he was going on one of his trips and would be gone for a week. She never told anyone how after he left she cried in her room knowing that her birthday wish did not come true. He left her again.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the photo. He lied to her. He lied to her for her entire life. This was physical proof of his betrayal.

She could feel someone step up behind her. A warm paw gripped her shoulder as the scent of apples filled her nostrils.

"Lisa, are you alright? You can talk to me," Kitsune said trying to comfort her.

She did not want to be comforted. She wanted to be alone. Knocking away his paw, Lisa ran out of the room with her hand over her mouth to keep from opening sobbing in front of them. She slammed the door behind her before her cries echoed down the cold hallway.

Kitsune stared at the door unable to block out the sound of crying coming from the other side. His jaw was set tight as he turned back to Henry Milton. The ferret squirmed in his chair as he tucked the photo back in the draw. He wanted to blame the ferret for so plainly upsetting Lisa. But he couldn't have known what a sensitive subject her father was. Henry never had children aside from his pet ferrets. Humans were much more emotional and sensitive.

"Should we do something?" Fox asked gesturing to the door.

Kitsune let out a slow breath. As Lisa's boyfriend, he knew that he should do something. The problem was he did not know what to do. Even with nearly infinite knowledge, there were somethings that one did not know and could only be learned with experience. One of those things was how to react in a situation like this. He was not used to dating mortals or dating at all. Before Lisa dating, anyone seemed like a disturbed fantasy. How many times did he mock Dragon for her occasional crushes? Now he kind of wished there was another woman in the room besides Mr. Milton's secretary who was standing in the corner like a potted plant at the moment.

"I will see if she is alright in a minute. Right now I think she needs space," Kitsune said examining his paw. She already demonstrated that she did not want to be physically comforted, so that meant she needed time. He hoped he was right. "Anyway, we need to get back to the reason we are here."

Mr. Milton nodded. "This Revenant fellow you told me about. Nasty business indeed. I hoped after Drasil was dealt with that things would return to normal for my neighborhood. In these times, normalcy is more of a fantasy than anything else."

"He already has the power of Drasil's temple. We believe that he is looking for the other temples the stags left. That means three if he already hasn't found them," Kitsune explained.

"He stole one of your journals," Keene added. "Could the locations be in there?"

Kitsune hoped that the answer would be "No it was just a book full of recipes" instead Mr. Milton nodded and said, "Several notes could reveal the locations of the temples."

He grabbed his laptop and pulled it in front of him. After tapping on the keys, he turned it around to show them what was on the screen. It was a display of different ancient manuscripts, tablets, and writings. "I spent years studying the ancient gods and different forms of mana and magic. It was one of the reasons Adrian came to see me specifically. The journal does not have the exact locations because I couldn't figure them out myself. I do know that the secrets lie in the original legends. One for each direction. North, South, East, and West. I can't help you as much as I would like but thankfully I backed up all my notes and journals." He turned to Keene. "There on my old computer. You still have it don't you."

"Of course, I never could get rid of it."

Mr. Milton nodded affectionately. "Good boy. Everything you need should be there. This will be your task, Keene. You know more about the gods and temples than even I do. If anyone can figure it out, it will be you. And Kitsune you might have to help. You knew the stags personally. Maybe between you two and the prophecy you told me about, you might be able to find the temples before Revenant."

"If we can find them, then we can drain the mana and destroy any chance for Revenant to ascend to divinity," Kitsune said.

Lisa walked down the hallway of Milton Manor in a daze. Kitsune was by her side which she was thankful for. After her breakdown at Henry Milton's office, she wanted to be alone but not entirely alone. She felt embarrassed for reacting the way she did in front of everyone. Kitsune found her crying in one of the uncomfortable chairs and took her home. Once they arrived at the manor, he explained what was discussed after she left.

"I should have been there. It was my idea," Lisa said flatly.

"It was not your fault. Your father is a sensitive issue. I promise once we find a way to stop Rowan we can focus on saving him."

Lisa gave him a slight smile. If anyone could help her save her father, it was him. They passed by Rowan's or Nick's room when the door suddenly flew open.

"There you are!" Nick shouted. "I was starting to get worried you would never get back."

"What are you talking about?" Lisa asked. "I know we were gone longer than expected but it wasn't that long."

The wolf's jaw dropped as he stared at her like she grew a second head from her neck. "You were gone for over a month."

That snapped Lisa out of her stupor. "What!?" She turned to Kitsune who quickly looked down at his feet trying to avoid her gaze. She would deal with him later.

"What happened while we were gone?"

"A lot of things for starters," Nick gestured wildly with his paws. "I mean things got weird with the wolf cubs, but I'll tell you about that later. The real thing I wanted to tell you is that I know what Rowan is planning. Or at least I think I do."

He waved them inside the room. Lisa and Kitsune stood in the doorway as Nick walked to the closet. He opened it up and revealed all of Rowan's belongings. Seeing them again caused the familiar sting in Lisa's heart. Her drama with her father and Kitsune almost caused her to forget about Rowan completely. Now that guilt was back like a thorn she couldn't reach.

"I was looking for clues like you suggested when I found this." Nick pulled out a spiral notebook with poorly drawn doodles on the front. He laid it on the bed for Lisa and Kitsune to see.

They walked over, and Lisa read the title. "Tycoon"

"This is Rowan's comic idea," Lisa said opening the notebook to the first page.

The pages were covered with more doodles and notes and storylines. She had not laid eyes on it since freshman year when she first met Rowan. She thought he might have thrown it away after what happened. As she flipped through it, she noticed a change after the tenth page. The notes were more organized, and there were fewer doodles. Most importantly her name was written on almost every page.

"This must have been after we met," she whispered. She never realized how much of effect she had on his work. Just like everything else about him she was clueless.

"That is only the tip of the iceberg," Nick said flipping towards the middle of the notebook. "This is the big thing you need to see. It's one of the stories he came up with. According to the notes and synopsis, the hero is supposed to fight a villain named the Queen of Hearts."

"Rowan was never good at coming up with characters," Lisa said trying to defend Rowan.

"Names aside, it is what she does. Her master plan was to control the minds of all the animals in the world and turn them against the humans using a magic scepter. He called it "The Heartache but it is basically..."

Lisa's eyes widened, and she finished Nick's sentence. "The corruption. He's going to turn all the animals in this world against the humans." The thought of millions of anthropomorphic animals acting like Bino did make her sick. The humans and animals would fight until there was nothing left.

"He wanted to destroy this world as part of his vengeance for what it did so I think this would be the best way for him to do it," Nick said.

"If he got the full power of a god, it would be as easy for him," Kitsune growled between his teeth.

"The question is; how do we stop him?" Nick asked crossing his arms against his chest.

"Keene is looking and deciphering Henry Milton's notes as we speak," Kitsune told him. "I hope we still have time."

"Thankfully there have been no Revenant sightings since you left," Nick told them.

Lisa stared at the notebook. One question rang in her head. Why? What would cause Rowan to go so far? Kitsune said before that he was corrupted by the dark magic, but he had to be subjectable to it for this kind of effect.

"How do we stop him if we don't know where he is?" Nick asked, there was anger in his voice.

Lisa was only haft listening to the conversation. She was still raw about her father. As she thought about everything she had learned over the last month, something popped into her mind. Mrs. Robinson's final words. "To know someone, you need to know where they came from," Lisa said out loud.

"What are talking about?" Nick asked.

"I realize that I don't know as much about Rowan as I would like but that changes now. Two people know more about him than anyone else," Lisa said getting worked up. "We talked to Keene's father and King's mother. Now it's time to pay a visit to Rowan's parents."


	6. Chapter 6: Voices of Lost Children

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 6: Voices of Lost Children

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from The Great Kitsune**

**Hello everyone. Things have gotten much stranger and much harder after our recent trip to Heaven to speak with Henry Milton. We don't know where Rowan…Revenant is or how much power he has gained while we were gone. Time is slipping by and generally for a god that is nothing but with a threat such as the one we are faced with I'm starting to understand why you mortals fear the passage of time.**

**To make matters worse, it seemed that Lisa's father, Adrian Smith, somehow made his way from Lisa's world to the HPU. I believe I know the reason, but I cannot tell Lisa. She was upset when she learned the truth about her father. But that can wait. We learned that Henry Milton may have clues that can lead us to the remaining temples in his old journals and notes from his travels. Keene is working through them as we speak. In the meantime, Lisa and I are heading to her world to find Rowan's parents. Apparently while in Heaven Lisa talked to King's mother and she told her that to understand someone you first need to know where they came from. That is why we are here now. Hopefully, they can shed some light on the situation because no matter how I look at it there should have been no possible method for Rowan to absorb so much mana in his mortal vessel and keep it as he has. Not unless there was always more to him than any one of us realized. **

**Oksskolten, Norway**

The bitter cold and swirling snow were making it much harder to traverse the mountain than Rowan anticipated. When he discovered that the temple of Dáinn was located here, Rowan believed it would be a simple matter of popping at the temple, making his way through, and reaching the mana that laid in wait. Unfortunately, he was still not powerful enough to break through the magical defenses left by the stag. The closest he could appear was at the base of the mountain. Now he had to climb the steep slopes, rocky passages, and sheer cliffs. A normal human would have died from hypothermia or fallen merely to their death. Rowan was not human. Every obstetrical that crossed his path was either bypass with a simple burst of flight or blast of magic. As he soon found out that would not always work. The closer he got the temple entrance, the less strength he had. Now he was forced to trudge to feet of snow in his tennis shoes. His power kept him from freezing to death, but it did little to warm him as he was pelted by razor-edged wind and ice crystals that seemed to form from nothing. He was starting to believe the mountain itself was trying to prevent him from reaching his destination. It would fail.

Rowan plowed through the snow bank as fast as he could. The cold was starting to make him tired. Clutching his robe, he tried to keep what little heat he had from being stolen by the wind. There were times it felt like he was surrounded by white nothingness. Rocks would appear in his vision on occasion only to be washed out by another flurry of snow. To keep him distracted, he focused on the ball of purple fire in his right hand.

The fire provided little warmth but did help keep the chill away. Rowan stared at it miserably. It was a mark of his curse. A reminder of what he did and how much he gave all those years ago. As he stared at the flame, it was like he could see it all over again.

**Many Years Ago **

**New Bern, NC **

_Rowan opened his eyes and saw only the faint light of the clock beside his bed. He blinked as his eyes struggled to adjust to the bright glow. Slowly the numbers came into focus. 2:45 a.m. _

_Rowan rolled over and dug deeper into his mattress. He had school in the morning and only a few hours before the alarm would blare in his ear disrupting what precious little sleep he could get. His head sunk deeper into his pillow but no matter how hard he squeezed his eyes shut, any chance at sleep was gone._

_Crash._

_There it was again. Rowan sat up in his bed and looked around. His bedroom appeared out the darkness as his eyes began to adjust. In the corner was his collection of games and toys laying in a pile. His blue curtains were drawn shut so little moonlight could peer through the window. The bedroom door was left slightly ajar for easy access to the hall if he had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. _

_What could have made that sound, he wondered? Everyone was asleep. He focused on the source of the noise and tried to decipher where it came from. Dakota was the most likely culprit. Rowan sighed and rolled his eyes before throwing the covers off of him. One leg at a time, he swung himself off the bed and landed on the soft carpeted floor._

_The hallway was eerily quiet that night. He spotted Dakota's room instantly. The light from Dakota's nightlight could be seen through the crack under the door. Slowly, Rowan stepped down the hall and towards Dakota's room. A shadow moved across the room temporarily blocking the light. It was so fast that Rowan wondered if he only imagined it. But no, he knew he didn't. Dakota was moving around when he was supposed to be asleep._

_His younger brother was so strange sometimes and would do the oddest things. Once he took all the silverware out of the draw and tried to line them up like dominos. When Dakota realized that there was no way they were going to stand on their own, he stuck them into the dining room table then got upset when they wouldn't fall over. _

_Rowan stood outside his brother's door. Part of him thought of waking his parents and let them deal with their youngest son. It was not his job to take care of Dakota. He would never take a situation like that. But his parents were sound asleep and if woke them up to tattle on Dakota would only make them upset with him. Not to mention what they would do to Dakota. After the silverware incident, Dakota was locked in his room for two weeks. Not much else you could do with a five-year-old. _

_Begrudgingly, Rowan turned the doorknob and slowly cracked open the door. The room was quiet as Rowan stuck his head in. Carefully, he quickly slipped past the door and shut it behind him. There was no telling what he was going to do to Dakota for waking him up and the last thing he wanted was his parents to hear Dakota scream for them. _

"_Dakota," Rowan whispered. His voice seemed distant as he looked around the semi-lit room. Dakota's collection of stuffed animals was in plain view as usual scattered on the floor. His parents thought his room was messy. He stepped over a large hippo and made his way to Dakota's bed. _

_As he stepped closer, Rowan immediately realized something was wrong. Half the sheets and blankets were torn from the bed and falling to the floor. One pillow was missing altogether. A cold breeze blew past him, and Rowan turned to see the window was wide open. From where he was standing, Rowan could see the moonlit yard and a strange vehicle parked in front of the house. _

_ In the corner of his eye, Rowan watched the closet door slowly creep open. Out of the darkness, a tall figure appeared. At first, Rowan thought it was some kind of monster like the ones he used to tease Dakota about. "Beware the monster that lives in your closet. At night, when your asleep, it will come out and sneak up on you." Rowan wondered if it was because of that Dakota would wander around in the middle of the night. As the figure stepped closer to the light, Rowan realized two things. One that it was no monster but a large man. Two that the man's arms were wrapped around Dakota. Even in that dim light, Rowan could see the terror in Dakota's eyes as he stared at him. _

_ Rowan opened his mouth to scream for his parents or simply out of fear. But before even a sound could emerge from his lips, a thickly gloved hand clasped over his mouth silencing him. Rowan did not even notice that there was someone else hiding in the corner when he walked in the room. The man's other arm wrapped tightly around Rowan's torso. Even as the fingers dug into his face, Rowan screamed. A scream that was never heard even as he was slammed against the doorframe and he lost consciousness. _

**New Bern, NC **

**Present Day**

Lisa stared at the familiar house, tapping her foot on the browning grass. The autumn air smelled sweet that day. She could see the various Halloween decoration the Gain's had put out. Ceramic jack-o-lanterns guarded the front door while a flatten witch hung on the wood paneling. She bit her lip as her mind raced with thousands of different scenarios of how she was going to talk to Rowan's parents.

"Oh, hello Mr. and Mrs. Gains. Your son is possessed but dark magic and is currently plotting to destroy an alternate universe, but I love those pumpkins you have outside."

So far that was her best option.

"Lisa." There was a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her brainstorming. "Are you with me."

She turned to Kitsune who watched her with notable concern written on his face. He was currently in his human form. A young blonde man with the usual purple t-shirt and jeans. It was always strange to see him like that. For so long she had only seen him as a drawing in a comic than as an actual living kitsune. Now he was a real human. Someone she could realistically see spending the rest of her life together with. She would never tell him that of course. Just like she would never admit that she was more attracted to his kitsune form than his human form.

Lisa smiled and gently removed his hand from her shoulder. She was glad he was with her for this. Not that he had much choice since she needed him to travel between worlds. Rowan had the bracelet they got from Drasil which was what they used before. Even though it was only a few months ago, it felt like a lifetime had passed since she and Rowan first came to Babylon Gardens.

"I don't know if I'm here or a million miles away," she said turning back to the house. She prayed that neither of Rowan's parents was looking out the window wondering why she was standing there with someone who clearly was not their son. "How are we going to do this? I mean I know we can't tell them the truth, but Rowan's gone. How are we supposed to explain the fact that he's not here, but we are?"

Kitsune stared at her. His red eyes always had a way of calming the butterflies in her stomach while his touch seemed only to create new ones. "I thought you would have figured that out before we came here."

"Thanks for your help," Lisa said. He had a point, and she knew it. It was only yesterday that they returned from their month-long trip to Heaven to speak with Henry Milton. It was her idea to come here. All because despite knowing Rowan for the better part of four years, she knew nothing about him.

Taking a deep breath, Lisa marched to the front door sensing Kitsune a few steps behind her. She shook her body trying to get rid of any nervousness that was still there. She could do this, she told herself. She could totally lie to her best friend's parents faces while secretly extracting information from them.

Oh God, she couldn't do this. Before she could turn around and make a break for it, Kitsune reached past her and knocked on the door three times as hard as he could. Lisa sucked air into her lungs while simultaneously tried to keep from vomiting.

"Have you been here before?" Kitsune asked retreating from the door.

"Yeah, a few times. I've spent the last four Thanksgivings here."

He shot her a quizzical look. "You didn't spend them with your mother?"

"Ha!" Lisa laughed louder than she intended. "Yeah right. As soon as my mother found out that I had alternate plans, she booked herself a cruise to the Bahama's for a week. That's her tradition now." She closed her eyes and tried to push the thought of her mother out of her head. There was a small voice deep in the back of her mind that told her that maybe she should check up on her mother. After all, Lisa had not spoken with her since June. She was alright with that. "I spent the entire week off school with Rowan here. He would drive us down, and then I would drive us back. It became our thing."

Kitsune looked thoughtful for a second then leaned in closer. "Maybe we should have a thing," he told her.

Lisa could not suppress the smile that was gradually spreading across her face. "I figured this was our thing. Traveling to other worlds. Stopping maniacal villains from conquering said worlds." She blushed as he kissed her cheek. It was strange feeling human lips and knowing that it was Kitsune doing the deed. Dating a demigod would take a lot more getting used to.

Before it got anymore potentially awkward, Lisa scooted away from Kitsune and rang the doorbell. "They have this button for a reason."

"Did you hear that Miles invited Gale to Thanksgiving at his place this year?" Kitsune asked.

Lisa nodded. She had not met the cougar or her son, Pueblo. From what she heard, they had been living in the neighborhood for months' even after she and Rowan showed up but their paths never crossed. It was only after she got back from the void that she heard the story of Miles's camping trip from King.

"I am curious about how that is going to work. From what I heard the wolves and Gale are still not on the best of terms."

Kitsune grinned and said, "You know it's not good to gossip."

"You were the one who started it," Lisa told him. "Honestly, I've never seen this side of you before. Public displays of affection. Gossip. You sure aren't the same Kitsune was all like "I can't help you. It's beyond my pay grade. Go be an awesome were-tiger and fight that giant hell monster yourself." Lisa tried to sound like him but ended up sounding more like a drowning Muppet.

Kitsune shrugged. "What can I say you bring out the worse in me." He faced the door again and scowled at it. "Maybe they aren't home."

Lisa had not thought about what they would do if the Gains were not there. They could be visiting Dakota at the hospital for all they knew. They could always come back the next day, but by then she doubted she would still have the courage to face them.

Luckily, they did not have to worry about that because a second later the door opened and Mrs. Gains stood at the threshold. She scanned Kitsune quickly before turning to Lisa. As soon as she saw her, Mrs. Gain's eyes lit up.

"Lisa!" She let the door go and stepped closer to them. "What are you doing here? It's so good to see you."

Before she could stop her, Lisa was enveloped in a hug. "It's good to see you too, Mrs. Gains."

"Please, I told you at graduation to call me Laura." Her face changed from excitement to confusion as she began to realize that Lisa was there but not Rowan.

"There is something we need to tell you," Lisa said before Laura could ask. "It's about Rowan. Something's happened."

The look of anguish that spread over Laura's face broke Lisa's heart. She already lost one son, and now here she was about to tell this woman that her other one was gone. Lisa opened her mouth to try to say something reassuring but closed it again. There was nothing to say.

"Come in," Laura said gesturing them inside.

A few minutes later they were all sitting in the living room. Lisa and Rowan on the couch with Laura and her husband Mitch sitting in different chairs on either side of the room. Lisa found it hard to look at either of them. They both seemed just to be staring into space as they waited for the pin to drop.

"Oh, I haven't introduced you to my friend," Lisa said quickly trying to put off telling them what happened. "This is…uh." Lisa had not bothered to think of a human name for Kitsune.

"Pete," Kitsune said smoothly. "Pete Griffin."

"Oh, like from "Family Guy?" Mitch asked.

"Yeah, just like that," Kitsune said with a smile.

He turned to Lisa who mouthed the words "Pete. Griffin." Kitsune only shrugged.

Laura looked at them, and Lisa could see that she was about to burst out of her skin if she did not get the answers to why they were there and what happened to Rowan.

Lisa's throat felt dry. "Rowan's missing."

Those were the only words she could let herself say. It technically wasn't a lie. Rowan was still missing only he was out in the world looking for sources of power so he could destroy it. Not exactly something that was easy to say.

"How long has he been missing?" Laura asked. Her voice was ice cold, but Lisa was impressed by how calm she sounded. "Has the police been notified? Where was the last place you saw him? Why weren't we told earlier?" With each question, her voice rose a decimal.

"Honey," Mitch said leaning forward. He patted the air like he was trying to reach her across the room. "Let Lisa explain what's going on before you get hysterical."

Lisa opened her mouth to try to answer any of the questions that she was bombarded with, but her mind was utterly blank. Any train of thought or possible answer deserted her. She searched her mind for any possible explanation that would not either sound completely crazy or send Rowan's parents to the police.

"We don't know exactly where he is. All we know was that he sent us all an e-mail and told us that he needed some time off work. That was a month ago," Kitsune said.

Lisa stared at him. Did he just come up with that right then? He turned slightly and winked.

"So you work for the company that produces the documentary?" Mitch asked. It wasn't an accusation, but Lisa had the feeling that neither one trusted Kitsune just yet.

"Yes, I am one of the supervisors for the show," Kitsune informed them.

"And you have no idea where he went or why he left?" Laura asked leaning forward. She seemed slightly calmer, or that could just be wishful thinking on Lisa.

"We wrapped up filming, and the show just got renewed for another season when he left. You have to understand that we all love Rowan as the studio," Kitsune said as sincerely as possible. He was such a good actor that even Lisa wanted to believe that Kitsune did work Milton Studios. "But we have to start filming again, but we don't want to do it without Rowan."

"I never learned what this documentary was about," Mitch said. "All Rowan told us was that he would be out of the country for a few months and would not be able to contact us. That was four months ago."

Lisa knew that was the lie that they each told their parents. Technically it wasn't a lie since they were out of the country in a way. The less information that got around, the better.

"That's not important," Lisa quickly said before the lie grew any bigger or worse, got out of hand. "He was acting strangely before he left though." Lisa thought back to the fourth of July and the following days. Rowan confessed that he loved her, kidnapped his brother from the mental facility, then fought a fallen god bent on world conquest. It was strange, she had to admit. "Before he left, I noticed his arm."

It happened quickly. So quickly, in fact, Lisa wasn't sure it even happened, but both of Rowan's parents shot each other looks of absolute horror. They did know, Lisa realized. It was hard not to notice especially with the way he would rub it whenever he got nervous. Of course, she never noticed that until a few months ago.

"How long has he been doing that?" Lisa asked.

Laura closed her eyes like she was trying to hold back tears. Mitch rested his elbow on the armrest then placed his forehead in his palm. "Since Dakota got taken to the hospital." He sighed then continued, "We didn't notice at first. They were small and thin. When we did notice we brushed it off as simply scratches. Then it got worse. After a point, there was no denying what he was doing to himself."

"It was all fault," Laura said, her voice was filled with sadness. "We didn't' notice what was wrong with Dakota until it was too late. Then Rowan. Now, look what's happened. He's runway to God know where and it's all our fault."

"It's not our fault," Mitch said calmly.

"Oh, isn't it." Lisa had never seen Rowan's mother look so sad. "We ignored the signs for years. I knew we should have taken him to the doctor after what happened with Dakota. He was ten. He should never have had to do that! What he saw in that barn. What he did to protect him. He was ten." Laura was practically shouting by the end of her sentence.

Lisa knew what they were talking about because Rowan told her himself three months earlier. He told her how he found Dakota covered in blood after he killed their pet dog, claiming the voices told him to do it. Rowan tried to keep it from his parents until Dakota kept hurting more animals then he had no choice. It broke something inside of him.

Laura shook her head. "No, we should have taken him after what happened to them. I knew followed up with that psychiatrist. The counselor told us this would happen. After what they went through. After what happened to them."

Lisa felt dizzy all of a sudden. What was she talking about? Them? Did she mean Rowan and Dakota? What happened before the barn?

Rowan's parents must have noticed the confusion on her face because Mitch instantly shut down while Laura rocked back and forth in her chair. Lisa glanced sideways at Kitsune and could tell he was thinking the same thing. They were hiding something.

"You need to tell us what happened," Lisa said. "What are you talking about? If it has something to do with why Rowan left, then we need to know."

"It's not important," Mitch said avoiding both Lisa's and Laura's gaze.

Lisa's eyes flickered between both Rowan's parents. Laura looked like she was silently pleading with her husband while he was ignoring her. Feeling a new conviction stir inside her, Lisa knew that she had to get them to talk. Her eyes bored into Laura like she was trying to mental shuffle through the woman's thoughts for the answer.

"It's time someone knew, Mitch." Laura's voice was barely a whisper. Louder she said, "If anyone should know it's Lisa. She of all people should know the truth. And if it helps to find Rowan, then I think we should do it."

Without looking at any of them, Mitch nodded his head.

Laura turned to Lisa and Kitsune and asked, "Have either of you heard of the Hillside Kidnappings?"

**Many Years Ago **

**New Bern, NC **

_Rowan was not sure what terrified him the most about where he was. There was the metal collar digging into his neck and the heavy metal chain attached to it that connected to the wall behind him. It was so dark where he was. The only light came from the cracks under the door that led into the long hallway. When he first woke up and realized he had been kidnapped he laid on the floor and tried to peer under the door. He could see the hall outside his room, but there was so little there. Only cold cement, like the floor of the room he was trapped in._

_ There were also the smells. The was acidic with the odor of fear and human waste. Rowan soon realized that there was no bathroom in the room. Even if there was a toilet or someplace for him to relieve himself, he doubted he could reach it. The chain only allowed him to walk three feet from the wall before holding him back. He could not even reach the door to touch it. Whoever had them was not taking any chances of them escaping or seemed to care about their health. _

_The worse part was the sounds. Rowan could hear them. The cries of children echoing around the hallway. Screaming, shouting, crying, or merely whispering, Rowan could hear them at all times of the day and night. Only there was no way to tell when it was day or night where he was. The room was like his closet. No windows, small, dark, and the only exit was that door just out of his reach. _

_ How much time had passed, he wondered? He tried to stay strong but how could he? There were several times he too broke down and cried to himself. He had to hide his emotions from Dakota who was trapped in the room with him. Rowan to stay strong for his sake. _

_ Dakota was the worst part, Rowan thought. Since the moment he woke up, he would scream and cry for their parents. No matter how many times he told Dakota to stay quiet or calm down, it only made it worse. His whiny voice stabbed Rowan's ears as he begged for him to save them. That was why Rowan had to stay strong. He was the older brother. It was his job. His parents told him to take care of Dakota. As much as he hated it, that was what he had to do for both their sakes._

_ "Rowan, are you there?" Dakota asked. His voice was so low and barely audible. _

_It was one of those rare moments when silence descended the hall. The other children were either asleep or had given up. Rowan was thankful for the moment of quiet, but somehow it felt worse. Like he was alone now. _

_ "I'm here, what do you want?" Rowan asked. He tucked his knees against his chest to try to stay warm. Why was it so cold, Rowan asked himself? His pajamas provided little warmth or comfort. He wondered that if there was more light then maybe he could see his breath._

_ "I'm cold," Dakota said._

_ Helplessly, Rowan turned to where his brother sat. Dakota was crouched on the floor with his arms and legs clutched together. He was barely visible in the faint light, but Rowan could make out his small features. _

_ "What do you expect me to do about it?" Rowan asked. He was so tired. Part of him screamed for sleep, but another part warned that if he sleeps, then he would not wake up. _

_ "Can I stay next to you?" _

_ "Fine," Rowan said._

_There was a slight shuffling as Dakota picked himself up from the floor. Rowan could see the faint silhouette of his brother move closer to him from the corner of his eye. Within seconds there was a small body holding onto him like he would drift away if he let go. Dakota rested his head on Rowan's arm, but he did not resist. Rowan allowed his brother to grip his hand and lay beside him. _

_"I want to go home," Dakota told him. As if on cue, the crying began. At first, Rowan thought it was Dakota crying, but it was coming from one of the other rooms. That triggered more crying and screamed from the other children. Rowan had no idea how many there were or how old or young they all were. "I don't like this place. I want to go home. I want Mommy and Daddy." _

_ Dakota's body started to shake, a precursor to what Rowan assumed was going to be Dakota beginning to cry. He could not let that happen. Gently Rowan wrapped his arm around his brother's body and pushed him closer into his chest. A small part of him wanted to hurt Dakota if he started crying. Just squeeze his arm or fingers until he stopped. Of course, that would only make things worse._

_ "It will be alright," Rowan said softly. What would his mom say in a situation like this, he wondered? "I'm here, and everything is going to be fine. I'll keep you safe." _

_ Dakota lifted his head and looked at Rowan directly in the eyes. "You promise?"_

_ "I promise."_

_ The door opened. Light flooded the small room, blinding Rowan. He let go of Dakota to cover his eyes. He could see a shadow approach them through his fingers. His eyes hurt but he tried to focus on the shadow. Soon it became clearer, and the figure of a large man appeared in his vision. Following him was another man. This one was smaller than the first. Were these the two who kidnapped them, Rowan thought?_

_ Rowan looked over at Dakota and gasped. For the first time, he could see how bad his brother looked. His clothes were torn and dirty as was the rest of his body. Dakota's hair was standing up in every possible direction. But it was the eyes that truly frightened him. His eyes were so dark and red from crying. He almost looked sick. Rowan remembered when Dakota had a fever the year before. This was worse. _

_"It's your turn," one of the men said. He walked over to where Dakota was and pulled out a small key from his pocket. Rowan watched as the man stuck the key into Dakota's collar and with a slight click it opened up. He removed the collar, and the other man stepped forward. _

_ "What are you doing?" Rowan asked. Dakota's grip tightened around his arm. It felt like he was trying to snap it off. The men reached down and grabbed Dakota's arms, pulling him away from Rowan. "No, stop. Don't take him!" _

_Rowan screamed and tried to pull Dakota back,, but the men were much stronger than him. Before he knew it, the larger man kicked Rowan in the chest slamming against the wall. Blackness filled his vision as Dakota's cries for help filled his ears. _

_ There was a sharp pain in his stomach as Rowan stood up. He could see the men forcibly dragging Dakota out of the room. Rowan ran to him, but he only made it three steps before the chain held him back with a powerful jerk. He reached out for Dakota. For a moment, Rowan thought he could reach him. _

_ "Rowan, don't let them take me!" Dakota screamed. _

_One of the men let him go and gripped the side of the door. Rowan watched in horror as the door shut and the darkness surrounded him. He clawed at the collar around his neck, trying to break it with his bare hands. His eyes were wild with fury and fear. They couldn't take him, he thought. _

_"Dakota!" Rowan cried as he still tried to reach to his brother. His fingers were grasping empty air. "Dakota!"_

"_Rowan." He could still hear his brother's cries for another few minutes. Slowly they faded away until he couldn't hear them anymore. _

**New Bern, NC **

**Present Day**

"The Hillside Kidnappings?" Lisa repeated. "I never heard of that."

She tried to think back to when she was younger. The name sounded familiar, but she could not place it. It was like a hazy memory that seemed to drift farther away from the more she tried to reach for it.

"It's not surprising. It happened a long time ago. You were much too young to know what was going on," Laura said shaking her head.

"It started off with a single kidnapping," Mitch said. Everyone turned to him. "It was a simple thing that upset a lot of people, but nobody thought much of it. Then there was another and another. Suddenly people were scared. They were all the same. It happened at night in rural areas. No witnesses. No traces."

"You never think it will happen to you," Laura said. She started sitting up in her chair. She placed her hands in her lap and stared guiltily at Lisa and Kitsune. "You hear about it on the news, you think about how sad the situation is, but you never think that you could be a target. You tell yourself you'll be safe." She squeezed her eyes shut before continuing, "But you aren't safe."

Lisa knew what was about to happen but couldn't say anything. Her voice was trapped in her throat.

"It happened one night," Laura said. Her voice sounded weak and cold. "We all went to bed like we normally did. But the next day…the next day they were both gone." The memory must have been heartbreaking because Laura burst into tears. She quickly stood up and ran out of the room.

"We went to their rooms, but they were not in them. Rowan's bed was cold, and it looked like he got up in the middle of the night. His door was wide open." He shook his head. " It was Dakota's room that was a real sight. It was completely trashed. The sheets were torn off his bed and toys were scattered all over the floor. Then we saw the window was wide open and we knew. We just knew at that moment what had happened. They were gone."

"There was blood." Laura suddenly appeared from around the corner. "There was blood on the wall. Our kid's blood." She set back down and blew her nose in a tissue she had retrieved from the other room.

"After that, we called the police. Dakota and Rowan were officially the twelfth and thirteenth children taken in as many days around the county," Mitch told him.

Lisa stared at him in shock. That many? How was that possible.

Mitch continued talking, but his voice sounded miles away. "There was nothing we could do. That was the worst part, the helplessness. The feeling of being able to do nothing when your kids could be dying somewhere or already dead. The first twenty-four hours are the most important they told us. In most child kidnappings, the child is killed after those twenty-four hours. Can you imagine how that felt to be told that and then watch the clock tick by while you could do nothing but sit and watch?"

Lisa shook her head. She couldn't imagine how that felt. She glanced at Kitsune who set stoic beside her.

"Days passed, then it was a week, then it was close to a month," Laura spoke up this time. "It was almost a month when we got the phone call. They found them. All the missing children were alive." She gave a half-hearted smile. "The culprits were part of some cult that worships demons. It was a miracle they were safe, we thought. Our children were home, and they were alright. But they weren't though. We were the lucky ones, we thought. Some of the children were so dehydrated and weak that they were more like walking skeletons than kids. Rowan and Dakota were not much better when we found them at the hospital."

"How were they otherwise?" Lisa asked. "I mean how were they emotionally?"

"You know that already," Laura said. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "They weren't the same. How could they be? After that things were different. They were different. Dakota was always a shy boy, but he just shut down after that. Withdrew into himself. Rowan never left his side. For weeks they would sleep in the same bed together. They were practically inseparable. Then there were the nightmares that followed. We woke up so many nights to hear them screaming in their sleep."

"It was a long time before we had any sense of normalcy in this house," Mitch said. He leaned closer to them. "It took so long before we thought it was over. Rowan was the first to recover. Before too long he was back to his old self. He was still more protective of Dakota and rarely got mad at him, but he seemed so…normal."

"Dakota wasn't," Lisa added.

"No, he wasn't." Mitch took a deep breath and gradually released it. "He was never the same. You know what happened later. We had no choice. We told ourselves it was for his own good." He suddenly laughed manically and leaned back in his chair. He tilted his head up and stared up at the ceiling. "That was a lie we told ourselves for years. It was never for his own good. It was for us. We sent him away to protect Rowan."

"Rowan?" Lisa asked.

"We wanted to protect him from Dakota." He smiled at them, but there was no joy in it. "We wanted things to go back to normal. We wanted to forget about what had happened to them. We lied to ourselves for years."

"Mitch!" Laura cried and stood up. She stared at her husband with a look of poison. "How can you say that?"

"It's true. Dakota was gone. We fooled ourselves for years thinking Rowan wasn't gone too. He was never the same after that. Even before the barn. Ever since he came back home from that forsaken place, he was different. You knew it, and I knew it."

"What are you both talking about?" Lisa turned to see that it was Kitsune who asked. His eyes glanced back from Laura to Mitch and back again. "What happened to him?"

"As we said, he was much more protective of Dakota, but there was more." Mitch walked over to the far wall and placed his arm on it before leaning forward. "It was like darkness had descended around him. It was one thing to lose that childhood innocence, of course, that was gone, but this was different. He just wasn't the same."

"He was depressed a lot," Laura said. She stood up and walked to a framed picture sitting on one of the shelves of a wooden cabinet. "There were other moments when he would lose control and fly into a fit of anger. This was after Dakota was gone. As he got older, it felt like it only got worse. We told ourselves it was just him becoming a teenager. There were times when we could feel this…malice coming from him."

Kitsune's eyes lit up. Lisa did not like that. His expression was one of grave concern. "How could you tell?"

"We don't know really. All we know is that we had to protect him no matter what."

Lisa knew what they were really saying. The entire story told her everything she needed to know. Her stomach was twisted in knots. Rowan had been through so much, but his parents didn't help him. They were like her mother in that way. They put themselves first over the well-being of their child. Their guilty expressions told her she was right.

"You knew he needed help," Lisa said standing up as well. Kitsune grabbed her arm, but she quickly pulled it away. "He was hurting himself, but you let it go. You lied to him and to yourselves." She suddenly realized something about the situation. Something in her mind clicked. "You kept him away from Dakota on purpose, didn't you?"

Mitch turned to her and opened his mouth like he was about to argue with her, but no words came. Laura stared at the floor. When she looked up again, tears were flowing down her face. "We did what we thought was best. Keeping Dakota away from Rowan was too help them both. Whenever Rowan was around Dakota, he would change. It was like nothing, or anyone could even be near him. He acted like if he left Dakota alone for even a second, he would disappear."

"We had to protect them both. That's what a parents' job is. Protecting their children is their number one concern," Mitch said.

"So, you ignored Rowan when he clearly needed your help," Lisa's voice kept rising as she spoke. "You ignored Dakota when he was dying inside, and even after he was gone, it was easier to forget about him. Rowan was hurting, and he couldn't find anyone to help him." Lisa blood went cold as the words left her lips. She was just as guilty, wasn't she? She ignored him just as much as his parents because it was easier than facing the truth.

"We already lost one child," Laura said defensively. "We couldn't lose another."

Lisa heard enough. She brushed past Laura and headed to the door. Behind her, she could hear Kitsune catching up to her, but she did not turn around. She had to get out of that house. Everything she learned made her sick. Not only the tragedy that Rowan spent his life dealing with but the fact that he couldn't even tell her about it because deep down he knew she wouldn't listen.

Hollow and dry, Lisa flew open the door and hopped down the small set of stairs. The autumn air seemed much colder than when they first arrived. Her body was shaking, but it wasn't because of the cold.

"Lisa, are you alright?" Kitsune asked. He placed his hand on her shoulder and Lisa instantly relaxed. She could feel his gaze on the back of her head, but she refused to look at him. "I know that was a lot to take in, but it does explain a great deal about Rowan's behavior."

"What did we learn?" Lisa asked turning on him. "We learned that he was kidnapped as a child and held prisoner for a month." Her throat felt tight like a pair of icy hands just grabbed her. The thought of everything he had been through. There was no way she could understand how much pain he felt, but still, he stood with her through all her drama. She felt like she somehow betrayed him.

"I don't know exactly what happened to Rowan during that month, but I have a theory," Kitsune said. "The more I think about it, the more I realize that Rowan could not have absorbed Drasil's power as he did. The way he's been able to absorb the mana stored in the temples is also unnatural."

"What are you talking about? Res absorbed the power to become that giant tiger thing," Lisa pointed out.

Kitsune nodded, "You saw what it did to him. That explosion of power affected him differently than Rowan. Res's body changed to adapt to the influx of power. Rowan though, he not only was the same physically but he wielded power like a professional. It was like it was made for him."

"What are you saying, Kitsune?" Lisa asked.

He was silent for a moment. "I'm saying that Rowan is not who you think he is. The Rowan you and I know…" his voice trailed off like he was trying to find the right words to say. "He's not the real Rowan. The real Rowan died all those years ago."

Lisa didn't say anything. She felt like she had been punched in the gut. Her mind flooded with memories of Rowan and her together. Laughing, watching shows online, her crying into his shoulder after a disastrous phone call with her mother, the late nights when they helped each other study. How could that Rowan, the Rowan who shared all those moments with her not be the real one?

She stepped away from him. "You're wrong. You're wrong," she shouted, her voice was tinged with anger. "I don't care what you say. Rowan is real. My Rowan is real. I will save him from whatever darkness is processing him."

"Lisa, please listen to me," Kitsune said holding his palms up to try to get her to calm down. "What those men did to him. They changed him, I'm sure of it. I've been around since the beginning, and I've seen what humans are capable of. I am more certain they performed some kind of ritual on Rowan so that he was able to absorb massive quantities of magic. That kind of transformation, it alters a human's mind and psyche," he paused. "Whoever you think Rowan is or was. That's not the real one."

Lisa exhaled slowly before looking at Kitsune directly in the eyes. "Take me home."

"Lisa."

"Take me home, Kitsune." Lisa's eyes burned with a black hatred. "Back to the manor. Then I don't want to see or hear from you for a while."

Kitsune opened his mouth but immediately closed it. He looked at her with pity before snapping his fingers. Then they were gone.

**Many Years Ago **

**New Bern, NC **

_"Dakota," Rowan whispered. "Look at me. You have to look at me." _

_ Dakota was not responding to him. No matter what Rowan did, his brother seemed to be asleep. He did not know how much time had passed since the door opened and the two men dumped Dakota's limp body into the room. Rowan rushed to his brother's side and lifted his head up. Dakota's eyes were glazed and distant. His breath was weak and shallow. If there was more light, then Rowan would see the burn and scratch marks around his brother's wrists and ankles. _

_ "Please, you have to stay with me." Rowan rocked back and forth with Dakota resting in his lap. Every once in a while, Dakota would mumble something inaudible. That meant he was still in there somewhere. "Everything will be okay. I will protect you. I promise I will protect you." _

_After what felt like days later, Dakota's condition had not improved much. He was more observant but still did not speak. Finally, he was able to sit up on his own, but it looked like he was unconscious still. The men did not bother to re-chain him to the wall. Why should they, Rowan thought. Dakota was not going to escape or help him escape. _

_The quiet was worse after Dakota came back. Rowan could hear doors opening and closing up and down the hallway. Children screamed as they were dragged away, but after a while, they stopped screaming and stopping fighting the inevitable. Rowan would whisper to Dakota and tell him stories just to have something to break the crushing silence. He would tell stories that he made up or things he saw on TV. He wanted to believe it was helping his brother but there was no way to tell. _

_ The footsteps came down the hallway again. Rowan held his breath as a shadow stopped in front of the door. "No," he whispered as he held Dakota's limp body against his own. "Please, don't."_

_ The door was unlocked, and slowly it opened as the light flooded the room once again. The two men entered the room. Rowan got a good look at them. One was a large man that looked like he Rowan's father's age with a scruffy black beard and a long tattoo across the left side of his face. The other was a thin man with long hair pulled back in a pony-tail. There was nothing remarkable about him other than he had a long-pointed nose. The large man stepped closer and leaned down. Rowan knew what was about to happen._

_ "I won't let you take him." Rowan's voice broke. "Can't you see he's hurt. Whatever you did to him, it hurt him. He can't go through that again."_

_ "I don't think you have much to say about that kid," the man said. It was the first time Rowan heard his voice. It was deep and rough like someone rub sandpaper against a rock. "Now you either can let him go, or we can force you too. It's your choice. Honestly, I'm hoping you fight. I do enjoy hearing the sound of bones break in little boy's arms."_

_ Rowan felt sick. This man was not just evil, he was plain sick. "What will it be?" the man asked again._

_Rowan looked at his brother. For the first time since he returned could Rowan truly see what Dakota looked like? Deep down Rowan knew that if Dakota left again, he would not be coming back. The promise he made replayed in his mind. Rowan knew what he had to do. _

_ Carefully Rowan laid Dakota down on the hard floor. He stood up and faced the men. He looked at the big one directly in the eye and said, "Take me instead."_

_"What," the man asked. Clearly, he was not expecting that. "Why would we want to do that?" _

_"I won't fight you. I won't try to run. I won't resist. I'm yours." Rowan tried to stay calm, but his brain was screaming that this was a mistake. He could die, but he was willing to sacrifice himself for his brother. The same brother who annoyed and harassed him all his life. _

_"I don't know about this," the other man said. "This one is older than the others. Lazarus said that they had to be young for the ritual to work. The only reason he's even here is that he stumbled on us before." _

_ The large man looked down at Rowan. "You think you are strong, huh." He smiled a wicked smile revealing yellow teeth. He leaned closer to Rowan. He was so close that Rowan could smell his rancid breath. "You think you are stronger than the others who came before you. Strong enough to give yourself to protect your brother. That is so adorable that you think that you can save him." He stood back up. "Alright, then. We already tried the others. Maybe older is better."_

_Before Rowan could react, the man gripped his arm and reached for his collar. There was a small click, and the collar fell way. Rowan felt the space of his neck where it held him for the last several weeks. The man pulled him toward the door. Rowan glanced at the other one who eyed Rowan skeptically. He shook his head and began to shut the door. Rowan looked back one last time to see Dakota lying on the floor. His eyes were wide open as he watched Rowan leave him behind. _

_ "There's no going back you know," the man said as he pulled Rowan down the hallway. "You've seen what happened to the others."_

_ Rowan walked beside him, and true to his word did not try to fight or escape the man's iron grip. "I don't care. I made a promise, and I will keep it." _

**Oksskolten, Norway**

Rowan held up his right hand and let the purple flame illuminate the room he found himself in. The ceiling was covered in deadly looking icicles. One wrong move and they would come crashing down on him, he thought. He turned to examine the rest of the room. The far wall had a similar bust of a large deer. Its eyes glowed with a faint blue light. The floor was covered with ice. Rowan knelt down and stared at it. The surface was so smooth it resembled a mirror.

Rowan's reflection stared back at him. His left eye glowed with a golden light, but his right glowed with the same purple as the fire in his hand. It made him sick to see that. He stood up and walked to the center of the room. The magic was strong there. It permeated through the air.

His next actions were careful, precise, and powerful. He knelt down on the ice and placed his right hand on the surface. With a surge of energy, purple flames erupted around him. They formed a large circle almost the size of the entire chamber. The flames rose higher and higher until they reached the ceiling. The temperature changed in an instant. It went from below freezing to an inferno.

Seconds later, the ice was all but gone. The floor was exposed, and Rowan could see the staircase leading to the pool of bright shining mana. There was no hesitation. He walked down the steps and waded into the magic pool. The magic power flowed through him instantly. The purple flames died as light filled the room and the entire temple. Slowly, Rowan sank before the surface, letting the magic wash away the memories of his past.


	7. Chapter 7: Un-King Me

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 7: Un-King Me

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from Fox**

**Here's what's been happening since last time. Kitsune and Lisa go see Rowan's parents who tell them the story of how Rowan and his brother were once kidnapped and held prisoner when they were kids. Whatever happened to them seriously messed them both up. Now Rowan is Revenant and, on the warpath, planning to corrupt every animal in the world and turn them against the humans. Crazy plan but then again Rowan did lose his mind after the battle with Drasil. In other crazy news, Kitsune and Lisa have maybe broken up because there is a lot of serious tension between the two. Speaking of human drama, apparently, there was another big reveal that left all of us shaken. King has a human son that he did not even know about until a month ago. Bailey is staying with Dad and me while they sort things out. I knew Halloween was supposed to be scary, but this is just too much.**

The party was in full swing, but Lisa felt like it was more like a funeral reception. Of course, some pets were living it up, cheering, eating snacks, and laughing. Peanut and Grape were talking to Max. Fido and the rest of the K-9's were huddled together muttering to themselves. Sasha came over and took Kevin away and not two minutes later, Sabrina did the same to Fido.

Lisa wasn't in a party mood so why was she here. Some of the owners were all gathered in the kitchen talking amongst themselves. From where Lisa was standing, she could see the awkwardness circulating around them as they watched their pets interact with one another without a care in the world. Lucretia came up to them and offered a tray of some kind of pink meat which was met with a chorus of "No thank you" and "Not for me." The other humans were scattered around the Wolf house trying to pretend they were comfortable being there. Despite the fact, this was not the first party the wolves had thrown there was still a lot of awkward feelings.

Speaking of which, Lisa's eyes fell on Bailey and Fox talking down the hall. Lisa moved closer to try to hear what they were saying, but they were speaking so softly it was impossible to hear over the sound of music blaring from the speakers. She could see Bailey with her arms wrapped around her body, shaking her head while Fox pleaded with her. Lisa did not have to hear what they were saying to know what they were talking about.

It had been several weeks since Babylon Gardens was rocked with the news that King had a human son from his human years. The only reason anyone knew was that Rockstar Hawk happened to make friends with him at school and brought him back to the house. Unfortunately, he was the spitting image of Joel, so it was not long before the truth was revealed. Lisa only knew about it because Nick happened to play a significant role in the events and told her after her return from visiting heaven.

Bailey turned away from Fox and sprinted out the front door. Lisa swore she was crying. She looked back down the hall to see Fox looking utterly defeated. Feeling sorry for the husky, Lisa wandered over to him and gave a weak smile.

"I take it that didn't go well," Lisa said.

Fox sighed and leaned against the wall. "No. That was the millionth attempt to get her to talk to him. She's hurting, and I can't blame her, but it's not like it's King's fault."

Lisa opened her mouth but immediately closed it. It sort of was King's fault for not using protection but telling him that would not help the situation. It wasn't his fault that his former fling didn't tell him about their son, but she had a good excuse considering Joel was in jail. From what Nick told her about the conversation King and Donna had apparently it had been a one-night stand that led to an unexpected surprise. By the time Donna knew that she was pregnant and tracked Joel down to tell him, he had been arrested. She didn't want their son apart of whatever Joel was doing and cut him out of the picture. She never told their son, Kyle, about his father. That was until King and Nick showed up on their doorstep and confronted Donna about it. It was quite a shock to her but a bigger shock to Kyle who had snuck in from the back and overheard enough to know he now hated his father who just happened to be married with three kids and a dog. Lisa thought her life was complicated.

"Where is he?" Lisa asked already knowing the answer.

"In his room," Fox said pointing down the hallway. "He hasn't come out in a while. Miles and the others are worried, but they are giving him space." Lisa nodded, if anyone knew the complications of having children, it was Miles.

"I wish I knew what to do," said Lisa.

"It's not your job to fix all our problems," Fox said firmly. "For the first time, this is not your fault." Lisa let the jab slide mostly because it was true. The last time something like this happened, it was because Rowan left a comic book lying around. This drama predates the comic itself. Go to show that some secrets can't stay hidden forever.

"Why does it feel like I should do something though? King is my friend too, and he's hurting. He should at least enjoy the party," Lisa said.

"I don't think Halloween is really his thing," Fox said scanning the room. "Not to mention a lot of us aren't in a party mood."

Lisa understood what he meant. Fox wasn't dressed up in a costume either. She thought about throwing something together but decided against it considering everything that was happening. Part of her wanted to stay home, but she still wanted a bit of normalcy. She apparently wasn't going to find that here.

Fox walked away in a half-dazed state. Lisa watched him wander over to Mungo who was currently dressed as Satau down to the golden markings. Apparently, Tarot and Sabrina put him up to it as part of a bet they made. She could see Grape make occasional glances at him while Max pretended not to notice.

Turning her attention back down the hall, she could almost feel the grief radiating from King's room. Her fear and worry for him were like a bitter taste in her mouth. One of the reasons she felt so sorry for him was because of her own relationship with her father. He left her behind and would give anything to see him again. To hold his hand and for him to tell her everything was going to be okay. King must have felt the same way about Kyle or at least she hoped he did. She at least got to spend eight years with her father while King spent a total of eight seconds with his son. The worst part was that because of this he couldn't even see his other children. Bailey had shut him out of their lives completely.

A presence appeared beside her, and for a moment she thought Fox had come back, but this one was felt different. Lisa turned to see Nick standing next to her frowning. He was dressed in a light jacket and wore a Panama hat on his head.

"Okay, who are you supposed to be?" Lisa asked.

Nick rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air. "I'm Todd Grace." Seeing the blank look on her face, he sighed. "The main character from my book." He pointed to the hat, the main character's trademark.

"Oh, right," Lisa said feeling guilty. The truth was that Nick had given her a copy of his novel a few months before after he had moved into the mansion with them. It was currently sitting in a drawer untouched and unopened.

"Speaking of your novel," Lisa said quickly changing the subject. "How is your second one coming along." Nick had been struggling with writer's block for over a year and was allowed to stay with the Milton's on the condition it would be finished by the end of the year.

Lisa could tell Nick wasn't falling for her ploy but told her anyway. "It's coming along despite the drama that seems to surround this entire neighborhood." Nick had made it clear several times that he did not belong in the mess the residents of Babylon Gardens consistently found themselves in. Unlike Lisa who thrived by throwing herself in the heart of everything like she was itching to do now. The only reason Nick went with King to Donna's was that like King he was once human, but unlike King, all he wanted to do was change back. "How are things with you and Kitsune?"

Lisa cringed. He knew how to get to her. This was his way of getting back at her for not reading his novel. She kept forgetting that despite Nick's mild manner and tendency to avoid conflict, he had a bite to him.

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to him since we got back from New Bern." The memory of that trip was a heavy weight on her heart. From the things she learned about Rowan's past to the harsh words, Kitsune said to her afterward. In a lot of ways, she understood where Bailey was coming from. There were just somethings that just could not be forgiven. "All I know is that he's watching over Pete and Dragon to make sure Rowan doesn't try anything."

It was no secret that Rowan hated Pete for what he did to King. From what Lisa now knew about Rowan she understood where that anger was coming from. Lisa found out later that Rowan attacked Pete and Dragon the night Dakota almost killed them. He wanted information about Dragon's temple and was not afraid to hurt them to get it. She often thought that if she knew about that before, maybe she could have prevented what was happening now. With the power Rowan was collecting, Kitsune feared that Dragon and Pete could be a target for him like they were for Drasil.

"Are you two broken up," Nick asked bluntly.

Straight to the point huh, Nick, Lisa thought. "No, not technically. We just haven't spoken. I needed space from him, and he's busy, so it all worked out." She glanced anxiously around the room as if expecting him to appear since they were talking about him. He did have a tendency to appear when his name was used. Thankfully he was nowhere in sight. "I don't want to break up with him but after the things he said about Rowan—I just can't see him," Lisa told Nick about what happened in New Bern. Right now, she felt like Nick was the only one she could confide in. Before she had Rowan and Kitsune, but they were both gone. The pets were busy with their lives and wouldn't understand. She thought about confiding in Fox but what King drama that wasn't an option.

"As much as I hate to say it, I do have to agree with Kitsune," Nick said.

Lisa looked to him like he'd slapped her. Her mouth hung open slightly as her eyes widened. He continued, "I mean he was pretty messed up, and that changes people. Look at me. Before the curse, I was a completely different person."

Lisa felt no sympathy for him mostly because she knew that was a flat out lie. She knew that he had spent the last few years held up in a cabin, too ashamed and embarrassed of his wolf form to interact with people. Beyond that he was always like this, she knew that. She decided to try not to listen to him.

"I don't care. Even if he thinks that he should have known better than to say it to me. He knew how much Rowan means to me." Lisa said letting her hair fall over her face.

"What does he mean to you?" Nick asked. Lisa looked up at him. His face was all serious. What did he mean to her? She wondered that herself ever since the dream when he came to her. When she woke up, she admitted that she loved him. The problem was she was not sure she loved him the same way she loved Kitsune or what it something more.

"I'm going to check on King," Lisa said. She walked away feeling Nick's tense gaze as she made her way to King's room.

She paused at his door before knocking three times. No response. He most likely figured that anyone else would assume he was asleep or just wanted to be left alone and abide. Not her. She barged in the room and shut the door behind her. The room was exactly the same except there was a sense of emptiness now. It was as if all the life had merely been sucked out of the window. In the middle of the bed was a small lump huddled under the covers.

Lisa plopped on the edge of the bed and watched as the lump slowly made its way to the far end away from her. King's head appeared and gave her a dirty look. She appreciated that the old King was still in there. It was a look that she had seen hundreds of times in the comics and one he only reserved for people he was truly angry with.

"Did you not get the message that I want to be left alone?" King asked.

"I did, but I ignored it. You should know me better by now. I do what I want."

"Clearly," King said as he pulled the cover back over his head.

Lisa was having none of that. She was in a foul mood because of what Nick said and her own frustrations. With one heavy tug, she tore the sheet away from King and threw it across the room. King laid on the bed staring at the ceiling. His eyes were red like he had recently been crying. It took Lisa a second to understand why. He must have overheard Fox and Bailey talking, she thought. Her heart broke a little at the thought of King standing at the door listening to Bailey tell Fox that she still couldn't see him. Did Kitsune feel the same way about her?

"How long are you going to mope?" Lisa asked. Part of her wanted to drag King to the party by the leg but knew that would be the worst thing for her to do. The thought did make her smile slightly. "I know things are challenging right now but hiding her is not going to fix things. You need to talk to Bailey."

"I've tried," King said. He sat up. "I texted, called, and gone over to the house several times, but she refuses to see me. I thought about talking to her tonight, but clearly, she is still angry."

"I realize what happened was not entirely your fault," Lisa said. King raised an eyebrow at her. "You understand this is hard. It would be hard for any relationship. What about Kyle? Have you tried talking to him?"

"I called Donna a few days after I went over there, but she said the same thing. She doesn't want me in Kyle's life, and Kyle feels the same way. I believe her considering how he reacted when he saw me."

"I hate to ask this, but do you want to be a part of his life?" Lisa asked.

King stared at her. His face was unreadable like he not sure himself. "You know what my parents were like," he said finally. Lisa did know that King's parents were terrible people who were one of the reasons King ended up where he is now. She had plenty of experience with terrible parents herself. It was one thing they both had in common. "I don't want to be like my father. I want to show my children that I love them. All of them. Rook, Olive, Ace, and Kyle."

King's father was one of the great mysteries surrounding him. That and his actual age. From what Lisa knew, his father was the real reason his childhood ended up the way it did. When she spoke to King's mother in heaven, she cast most of the blame on her husband for how King turned out. He was the mastermind behind most of the crueler decisions they made when raising Joel. Somewhere out there he was alive, but no one knew where.

Howling erupted from the other part of the house which told Lisa that the party was getting more intense. King ignored it and stared at his paws. He flipped them around and examined them like he was checking for some unseen wound.

"I hate being a dog," he said abruptly. "I wish I could go back and never end up like this."

That caught Lisa off guard. She knew he was depressed but to say something like that was too much. Being a dog was the only thing that was able to heal the wounds that had been inflicted on him growing up and gave him a second chance at life. But at the same time, she knew he had nothing right now, so it was natural to feel like that.

"Well, if I could snap my fingers and make everything different I would." To emphasize what she was saying she snapped her fingers. Suddenly a blinding flash of light consumed them and then there was nothing.

Lisa opened her eyes and blinked in the morning sun as it streamed through her window. Carefully, she lifted her head and looked around the room. She was back at Milton Manor but how did she get there? She ran a hand through her hair and thought back. The last thing she remembered was the party and talking to King. Did she get drunk somehow? No that couldn't be it, there was no alcohol in the wolf house. She didn't drink anyway. It reminded her too much of her mother.

Her throat felt dry and scratchy as she made her way to Nick's room. She knocked on the door and seconds later he opened it. He was already dressed, looking clean and groomed. Seeing him instantly reminded her of the things he said to her the night before, but she was willing to forget about that for the time being.

He looked her up and down before speaking, "Well, someone looks like they had a fun night." She gave him a confused look before bursting past him and made her way to the mirror. It was true. Her hair was full of knots, and there were dark circles around her eyes. The worst part was how pale she looked. Her skin made her look like she had come down the plague. Strangely, she felt exhausted despite having just woken up. She glanced at the clock on Nick's open computer. 11:38 a.m. It was so late so why was she so tired.

"Do you know what happened last night?" Lisa asked as Nick set down on the bed behind her.

"Well, after our less than productive discussion you got upset and stormed out the Wolf house. After that, I don't know. I came home, and your door was shut, so I assume you were here."

"Wait, that's not what happened." A dizzy spell overcame her, and she grabbed on the burrow to keep from falling down. Nick made a move to help her, but she held out her hand to stop him. "After we talked, I went to check on King."

Nick gave her a questioning look. "Who's King?"

Lisa's eyes widened as she studied Nick's face, but there was nothing there but confusion. "That's not funny, Nick." She told him feeling fear begin to claw up her chest. "This is not the time to joke about this. He just lost his wife and kids."

Nick looked puzzled like he seriously did not know what she was talking about. "I really don't know who you're talking about. Have I met this King person? I thought I met all your friends already or is this one of those celestial characters."

Lisa didn't speak. She ran out of the room and down the hall. This wasn't happening, she repeated to herself over and over. When she arrived at her destination, she threw open the door of Keene's old office and startled Lana so severely that the ferret nearly fell out of the chair.

"Lana, you know who King is don't you?" Lisa asked breathlessly.

"Um, sorry I don't know that name?" Lana said politely as she resettled down in the chair. Lisa made a strangled noise and flew out of the room so fast it was like she was never there.

When she made it back to her room, the grabbed her phone and called every pet she had on speed dial. They all said the same thing. They had never heard of King before. Frustrated she threw the phone on the bed and could feel tears begin to fall down her face. What was going on? She felt like she was going crazy.

The phone rang and for a second Lisa felt like ignoring it. It was most likely one of the pets calling her back to ask why she just freaked out on them. Giving in, she reached over and picked the phone. The number on the screen was not one she recognized. Curious, she pressed the answer button and held it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said.

"Lisa! Oh, thank god this was the right number."

She recognized that voice instantly. "King, is that you?" Relief washed over her like a cold wave. She hadn't completely lost her mind.

"I need to see you right away. Something is seriously wrong," King said. Lisa could hear the panic in his voice.

"Okay, where are you. Are you still at the Wolf house?" she was already pulling out a fresh set of clothes and beginning to change when he responded.

"No, I don't know exactly where I am, but I can give you an address."

Lisa paused then said, "Text me it, and I'll be right over." With that, she hung up and waited. Seconds later an address appeared on her screen. She bent over and read it. The first thing she noticed was that it wasn't in Babylon Gardens. The second was that it was an apartment building.

Lisa wasted no time stealing one of the Milton's cars and driving to the address sent her. The building in question was on the east side of town almost opposite of Babylon Gardens. It was a standard looking building with a small parking lot behind it. Thankfully people were working so she could find a place. There was no elevator, so she had to walk up several flights of stairs until she reached the room King wrote. Before she could knock the door flew open and standing there was the last person she expected to see.

"Joel?" Lisa whispered.

It was Joel alright. King's former human self and this was the first time she had ever seen it outside of the comics. He looked almost exactly the same as he did in the pictures only there was one noticeable difference. He was much older.

"You might want to sit down. I know I do," he said as he stepped to the side and let her in.

The apartment itself looked like one would expect for a single man in his late thirties. No real furniture or pictures on the wall. There were a couch and coffee table in the sitting room as well as a large flat screen hanging on the wall. In the kitchen was a card table with a pizza box partway open. The garbage can was overflowing with take-out. A large sliding door that Lisa assumed led to a balcony was hidden by long navy-blue curtains. The apartment itself smelled musty.

Lisa set on the couch while Joel pulled up one of the chairs from the kitchen. Neither one said anything. It was Lisa who broke the silence.

"What on earth is going on? Why are you human again?"

Joel threw his arms in the air and shouted, "I don't know. I just woke up like this. Imagine my surprise when I suddenly didn't have fur. Then I noticed I wasn't in my bed but in a stranger's. After panicking for an hour, I remembered our conversation last night, and so I called you."

Lisa thought back to the night before. King wished he had never been turned into a dog and she snapped her fingers. Her eyes widened as she looked at her hands. Did she cause this? There was only one way to find out.

"Kitsune!" Lisa screamed standing up. "Get your tail over here right now."

"I was wondering when you would call," Kitsune said. He appeared out of nowhere. "I knew if I waited long enough you would miss me." He smiled at her, and for a second, she could feel her heart melt. She pushed down those feelings. Instead, she gave him a furious look that said, I'm still not talking to you, but this is serious.

"What is going on? Why is King Joel again? Why doesn't anyone remember him?" Lisa asked.

"Wait, what?" Joel asked clearly surprised by that bit of news.

Kitsune's smile faded. In its place was a look of anger and concern. "King wished he had never been turned into a dog and you granted it for him."

"I, what," Lisa said abruptly.

Kitsune's brow furrowed. "You took on the power of a celestial being. A goddess. Even though you used that power to destroy Drasil, there are still some remaining sparks. Remnants of that divine power."

Lisa sat back down not taking her eyes off of Kitsune. She remembered him telling that to Tarot, and the others are the diner. Then there was Res who could still change into his weretiger form. She never once considered that the same thing could happen to her or that it would manifest itself like this.

"Okay, if she did this can she undo it?" Joel asked. The annoyance in his voice was unmistakable. Once again, his life had been turned upside down by divine forces. Lisa felt a surge of guilt. It was her fault, again. "Can you do something? You gave me a choice to live as a dog. Just do it again."

Kitsune shook his head. His tails flicked uncomfortably. "I can't do that for several reasons. One it was Lisa's power that did it, and because it is not normal, I have no control over what it does. Secondly, I did what I did before because of the Game and because Pete had already broken his control over you when he changed you back to normal originally. Finally, I couldn't do it because you don't want to go back to being King."

"Um, excuse me," Joel said. "I think I know that I want to go back to my family."

"Your family who doesn't want to see you. You made that wish for a reason. It's going to take more than a few hours to make those feelings go away," Kitsune said.

"There must be something he can do. Something I can do," Lisa interjected. "I caused this. So, I should be able to fix it."

"Yes and no." Kitsune turned to her. There was pity in his eyes and something else. Grief. A part of her wanted to throw her arms around him, but this was not the time. "If you had more control over your powers maybe but even then, I doubt you would have enough to undo such a powerful spell. The last one drained you." Lisa did feel tired even now. "But there is something that you both might be able to do if you are serious about returning to your old life."

"What is it?" Joel asked leaning forward.

"The Wonderful Life Effect."

They both stared at Kitsune. "What does that even mean?" Lisa groaned.

"Just like it sounds. You've both seen _It's a Wonderful Life_, right?"

Lisa nodded. She only had watched it once with her father years ago. The movie was a vague image in her mind, but she knew where Kitsune was going. So did Joel judging from the expression on his face.

"You're saying that for everything to go back to normal, I have to learn a lesson or something?"

"Something like that," Kitsune said trying to suppress a grin. "Really you have to want to go back fully and completely. There can be no doubts in your heart that you want your old life back. I would suggest following the movie's lead and seeing your old friends and how their lives are different without you. I would suggest checking the alley beside Bert's Pizza."

On that final note, he popped out of existence leaving Lisa alone with Joel. Lisa laid back against the sofa cushions while Joel laid his head in his hands. Neither of them had a clue what to do next besides follow Kitsune's suggestion. Bert's Pizza? Lisa thought. She had never heard of it. Why would one of their friends be there?

Pushing herself up off the couch, Lisa decided to find the bathroom and think about the situation in peace. She saw a hallway hiding off to the side and found herself looking at the bathroom, but that did not draw her attention. On both ends of the hall was a door. One was slightly ajar while the other was closed entirely. Curiosity overcame her, and she checked the room with the open door.

It was an average bedroom or an average grown man. An unmade bed, a closet filled with various shirts, ties, and formal wear. A borough with a shaving kit and a set of books neatly pressed together. Joel's bedroom, she told herself. She turned back to the hall and stared at the other door. When she walked down the hall, she paused halfway and looked at Joel who was still moping.

"Is this a two-bedroom apartment?" Lisa asked.

Joel sat up, regarding her curiously. He wasn't sure, Lisa could tell. Slowly she moved to the far door and turned the knob. Opening it slightly she stuck her head in just in case it was occupied. Thankfully it was empty, but someone had stayed there. As she examined the room, it became clearer who that was.

The bed was neatly made with a table beside it. A lava lamp set on the table next to an Amazon Echo Spot. The pictures hanging on the walls were that of action movies and various anime. There was a small TV in the corner sitting on a set of cubicles filled with drawers, movies, and games. She walked in and examined the room more closely. Something caught her eye. Sitting on the dresser was a framed photo of two people. Reaching out, Lisa picked it up, and as she looked at it, she could feel her heartache. It was a picture of Joel and a young boy that looked exactly like him. Even though she had never seen Kyle before it was obvious that this was him.

"What is all this?" Joel said standing at the doorway.

Lisa was so started that she slammed the picture face down on the dresser. Joel clearly didn't notice because he was too busy scanning the room. A look of realization spread over his face, and Lisa knew that he had come to the same conclusion she had. He noticed the picture she had failed to hide. Walking over, he picked it up and stared at it.

Joel's eyes began to water as he sat on the bed still holding the picture. Lisa did not know what to say to him. There was nothing that could be said. The writing was literally on the wall. Hanging over the bed was the name "Kyle" spelled using different shapes and designs.

Joel," Lisa said sitting beside him. She laid her hand on his.

"What does this mean?" he asked expecting her to have an answer.

The truth was, she did have a theory. One thing she noticed about this room was the lack of clothes. The closest was almost entirely empty. Her mind was drawn back to Rowan who kept everything in a suitcase even after they started staying at Milton Manor. It was always meant to be temporary.

"You must have gotten partial custody," Lisa said, and that was all it took. Joel placed the picture beside him and cried into his hands. Lisa could feel the torment pouring from him like sharp needles sticking into her skin. She looked around again. This was the life he was deprived of. The life Pete stole from him. The life that not even Kitsune could give him back.

"I don't understand. How did this happen?" Joel asked wiping his eyes with his shirt sleeve.

"If I had to guess. I would assume that either you or Donna reached out and you found out about Kyle after you were released from prison. You got your life together and got this apartment."

"It's so normal," Joel said like the word was foreign to him. Lisa understood. Nothing about his life had been normal for the last nine years. "I have a real life."

"You have a life back in Babylon Gardens. A life with Bailey and your kids. Your other kids," she added quickly.

"They all hate me. Bailey hates me. Kyle hates me. The pups probably don't even understand why I left."

"They are only three," Lisa said. "But Bailey will come around eventually." She wanted to say that Kyle would too, but they both knew the chances of that happening were beyond slim.

Joel stood up. He placed the picture back where they found it and walked out of the room. Lisa quickly followed him unsure about what was happening. "Let's go," he told her.

"Go, you mean to check on the others?"

Joel nodded. "I need to know. I need to know if their lives are better without me in them."

The first stop on what Lisa started calling "The Wonderful Life Tour" was Burt's Pizza. Liza parked the car on in the side of the road and fished out a few quarters from her purse. Since she did not know how long they were there or what they were even looking for she dropped them all in. The meter changed to 2 hours, and they were set.

The restaurant itself was not very remarkable. In fact, it was kind of gross. A place that Lisa would normally drive past and never give a second look. The front window had a cartoon of a fat man with a mustache holding a pizza out like he was offering a slice. They went inside and set down. The dining area was almost empty which was a surprise considering it was lunchtime. The table was covered in a red and white checkered pattern plastic table cloth. Lisa picked up a menu from the middle of the counter. It was sticky and unpleasant to the touch. Joel kept looking around like whoever or whatever they were there to find would pop out like a neon sign.

A young waitress, most likely a college student trying to pay for tuition, came over and took their drink orders. She asked if they knew what they wanted to eat. Joel and Lisa exchanged one look, and Lisa ordered a plain pepperoni pizza.

When the waitress was gone, Lisa leaned over and whispered, "What are we looking for exactly."

"This is just like Kitsune to leave us hanging like this. He only gives vague information. Just once it would be nice to have the entire answer. Go to this place and then what?" Joel retorted.

"He did tell us about the spell and how to undo it, so that's something?" Lisa did not know what she was defending Kitsune. Part of her assumed it was loyalty to her boyfriend which he technically still was. "He did say check the alley. I don't know why we came inside."

"Why would someone we know be in the alley. We're nowhere near Babylon Gardens."

Lisa didn't have an answer. This entire situation was strange which was saying something considering everything they had been through the last six months. They stayed silent while their drinks arrived and after the pizza showed up. Lisa took one bite and concluded while it was not the worse pizza, she had ever had it was not in the top five. Joel ate the entire slice and then scarfed down another.

"Stress eating," he told her when he caught her staring at him.

When they were done, Lisa paid using the Milton's credit card. Technically she was still their employee even though the plans for the second season of their show were still in the works.

When they walked out of the restaurant, a heavy silence hung between them. They moved to the alley which Lisa felt was a bad idea. The last time did something this the one waiting for her was Drasil. At least then she had Rowan. This time it could be something far worse, and all she had for a companion was Joel, who even though he was human, was a middle age man who looked like he had never set foot in a gym.

As they entered the alley, Joel spoke up. "I can't help but blame Pete for all of this. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be torn between two worlds, feeling like my head and my heart are about to split in half."

"That's why we're doing this," Lisa told him. "Kitsune told us to follow up on our friends and see what their lives are like now that you were never apart of them. If you can overcome whatever you're feeling, then things will go back to normal."

"I don't know what normal is anymore," Joel said lifting his face to the sky. "Nothing in my life has been normal ever since Pete kidnapped me and made me his avatar."

"What did you say?"

Lisa and Joel instantly froze. A low growling sound was coming from behind a large dumpster farther down the alley. From the shadows a large animal emerged, still growling. The first word that popped in Lisa's mind was Rottweiler. His entire body was covered in black fur with a brown muzzle. His teeth were bared as drool dripped down his lips. He was large. Larger than an average dog, Lisa noticed. She couldn't move or breathe. The burning hatred in this dog's eyes was almost as bad as Drasil's. Her eyes fell on the spiked collar around the dog's neck, and her blood turned to ice.

It was at that moment that Lisa realized two things. One was that without Joel, Pete would have had to find a different avatar. Second, it was King who stopped the Game before a formal victor could be declared.

Hanging on the dog's collar was a charm that was eerily similar to King's only this one was in the shape of a bishop. They were looking at King's replacement avatar. Clearly, Pete went for pure power instead of crafting a powerful avatar.

"You two know Pete and Kitsune," the Rottweiler growled. He balled his paws into fists. He was ready to kill them both just for knowing Pete and Kitsune, who was this guy? Lisa wondered.

"Who are you," Lisa managed to blurt out.

The dog narrowed his eyes at her and calmly spoke, "My real name is Jimmy Sanders. But I guess you should call me Bishop."

"You're Pete's avatar," Joel said like he just figured it out.

"Was his avatar. We lost the Game, and as punishment, I was trapped in his body scrounging for scraps like a feral beast." Every word out of his mouth was drenched in hatred.

The urge to run away was overpowering. This dog must have been another convicted criminal like Joel. What did he do?

"Now how do you both know about Pete and Kitsune?" He took another step towards them. "Don't try to run. I know I'm much faster than you two." He smiled. It was a horrible smile that caused every instinct Lisa had to scream "Runaway."

Lisa did not know what to do. If they told him the truth, he might not believe them. What would happen if he did? Bishop looked at Joel and asked, "You were Pete's avatar, once weren't you?"

"How did you know that?" Joel responded.

"I wasn't sure until now," he replied. Lisa wanted to kick Joel right there. "I don't know how but I can just tell by looking at you both this is somehow your fault. Calling it a lingering trace of my avatar powers but I can tell. So what would happen if I were to kill you both right now?"

"Run," Lisa said then much louder repeated herself. "Run!"

They sprinted from the alley and tried to get to their car. Lisa wished they had not had to park so far from the restaurant. Bishop was right behind them. Lisa could feel his paws trying to grab her shirt.

"Your mine," he said. Lisa risked a glance and could see the intense bloodlust in his eyes. The darkness that came from losing everything and only knowing to suffer. It was the same darkness Rowan had when he attacked the neighborhood. Pete made King's life miserable, but he was able to get away and find solace with the neighborhood dogs. She doubted this guy would be able to make friends with anyone.

With no other option, Lisa swung her elbow and slammed it directly into the side of the dog's face. It slowed him down slightly, but it also made him even angrier. "Why you stupid…" He never got a chance to finish that sentence because Joel immediately swung his foot and roundhouse kicked Bishop so hard that he fell to the sidewalk, bleeding from his mouth and nose. Lisa didn't have time to be impressed. Curious onlookers were now coming out of businesses and buildings to see what was happening.

Lisa and Joel jumped into the car and pulled out without even bothering to check for oncoming traffic. Lisa sped down the road back towards Babylon Gardens.

Neither of them spoke until they reached the neighborhood sign. Lisa pulled off to the side of the road and parked the car.

"That was impressive. Where did you learn how to do that?" she asked. She wanted to ask why you haven't ever done that before but decided against it.

"Prison," Joel said. "You learn how to defend yourself early on, or life gets a lot harder for you."

Lisa gave Joel a worried frown. "Are you sure you want to do this? After that ordeal who knows what will be waiting for us."

Without looking at her, he replied, "I have too."

Lisa put the car back into Drive and drove into the neighborhood. Unsurprisingly everything looked the same on the outside. As they maneuvered down various streets, Lisa mentally flipped through the comics trying to remember everyone King interacted with. Each time she kept coming back to the same ones, the Wolves and Fox.

Their first stop was the Wolf house. Bags of garbage from the previous night was lied outside waiting for pick up. Beyond that, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Joel looked longingly at the house but said nothing. They both came to the same conclusion. King may have lived with them, maybe been part of the pack, but his presence did not have a significant impact on them.

As Lisa drove off, she tried to comfort Joel by saying, "You know if they remembered you then they would miss you. You were part of the family. Without you, there would be a corgi shaped hole in all their lives."

Joel said nothing but continued to look out the passenger side window. Lisa could see his reflection and saw the sadness he was trying to hide.

The next stop was Bill's house. Lisa parked farther down the road because Fox and Bill would be the only two people in the neighborhood who would remember Joel because they met before Pete. Lisa got off the car and walked to the house. The entire way she tried to think of an excuse to check in on them. Drawing a blank, she decided to wing it.

She knocked on the door and expected Bailey to answer but instead Fox opened it.

"Lisa," he said mildly confused. "What are you doing here?"

I wish I knew, she thought. Out loud she replied, "I wanted to…" Something flashed in her head like an alarm. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

Fox scratched his head. "What do you mean?"

"Your job. You work for the K-9PD."

Fox let out a hoarse laugh. "No, I don't. I always thought about it, but it was always just one of those things that never happened."

Lisa's heart sank. It was King that pushed Fox to join after their trip to Heaven and Australia. Without his influence and adventure, there was never a reason for Fox to join.

"Is Bailey around? I need to talk to her." Lisa said looking into the house for some sign of his cousin.

Fox gave her a confused look. "Bailey is in Kansas. If you really need to talk to her, I can give you her number."

"Wait, she didn't move in with you after her owners moved?" Lisa was growing more concerned.

Fox shook his head, "I offered, but she said that there was no reason for her to come all the way here. She found herself a new home in Topeka. I haven't talked to her in a while."

No King meant no Bailey. Lisa gritted her teeth. There was one person who King had a positive effect on. Two people actually. She needed to tell him.

"Thanks, Fox. I need to go." As she turned to head back to the car Fox called to her.  
"Are you okay, Lisa. I know things have been hard with Rowan missing and Kitsune breaking up with you."

"What? He didn't…we didn't," she tried to speak, but the words kept getting caught in her throat.

"We'll find Rowan again. He was my friend too. He's out there somewhere. Tarot and Sabrina are both looking for him right now. What Drasil did, he won't get away with it," Fox said calmly.

Lisa felt the pavement slip from under her. King was Drasil's target. He set him up to free him from his prison. If Joel was never King, then he was not capable of doing that. That would mean that Drasil would need someone else. Someone who was neither fully human or entirely something else. Kitsune's words resounded in her ears, "_I am more certain they performed some kind of ritual on Rowan so that he was able to absorb massive quantities of magic. That kind of transformation, it alters a human's mind and psyche._"

"Oh god, Rowan." Lisa covered her mouth with her hand. Tears fell from her eyes as she fled. She did not look back as Fox called for her. She ran past the car not stopping. Joel threw open the door as she ran past. She kept running until she found herself in the middle of the woods.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she screamed, "Kitsune. Come here. No more games."

"I'm here," Kitsune said from behind her.

She turned on him. His red eyes were soft as he stared at her. She felt like she was about to crumble right there. There was a hole inside her that only seemed to be growing larger. No matter what happened. No matter what they changed, Rowan was still gone.

Tears fell from her eyes as she spoke, "What happened? I know you know what happened in this reality. That's why you sent us on a suicide mission to find Bishop. Where's Rowan?"

A cloud obscured the sun as Kitsune spoke. "Without King, Drasil needed someone to let him out of Tartarus. Bishop would have been the obvious choice, but he was unstable and had nothing to lose. When you and Rowan showed up, Drasil could sense that Rowan was different. I think it was the same reason he sought out Dakota." Lisa's body grew colder. "This time Drasil took it too far. He took Dakota which sent Rowan spiraling. His anger and fury sent him on a solo mission to Tartarus. Drasil expected him to free him, but he underestimated Rowan's power. Whatever power Rowan has was in full force when he confronted Drasil. That along with the magic of Tartarus made him an unstoppable force. He destroyed Drasil, but by doing so, the power destroyed him. I managed to rescue Dakota in time, but Rowan was already gone."

Lisa watched numbly as Kitsune moved towards her, but before he was within arm's length, she stepped back. "That doesn't matter. My Rowan is still alive and out there somewhere. This—" she waved her hands in the air. "None of this is real. It is an illusion I created and as soon as King realizes what he lost it will be gone."

"Are you sure?" Kitsune said in his gentlest voice.

"I know he will see reason and want to go back to his family," Lisa said.

Kitsune shook his head. "Are you sure Rowan is still out there? Even back home he may be gone as well."

Not this again. Lisa glared angrily at him. She didn't have time for this. Joel was waiting for her, and she was going to make him see reason even if she had to force it into him. The thought of seeing Rowan again was the only thing that enabled Lisa to find her way back to the car. Joel was waiting by the trunk playing with his phone. Without a word, Lisa stalked past him and climbed into the driver's seat. Joel took that as his cue to follow suit.

"Where are we going next?" he asked.

Lisa turned the ignition on and spun the wheel. "Back to your apartment. We have a lot to talk about on the way there."

The entire conversation on the way back was one-sided. Lisa talked, and every time Joel tried to interrupt, she would talk over him. She explained what she learned from Fox. How he had never joined the K9PD, how Bailey was still living in Kansas, and how Rowan was gone since he was not Drasil's target this time. Her voice broke slightly when she talked about Rowan. She kept having to remind herself that he was still out there back in their own world.

When they arrived back to the apartment building, they climbed the stairs and reached the door. As Joel turned the key in the lock, a strange sensation overcame Lisa. A sense of wrongness. When Joel opened the door, they found that the apartment wasn't empty.

"Kyle," Joel whispered.

A teenage boy stood up from the couch and smiled at Joel as they walked in. Lisa noticed the curtains were drawn allowing for sunlight to pour in. The remote for the TV still in his hand, Kyle walked over to his father like the only person in the world. He wore a green shirt with a yellow circle that instantly reminded Lisa of the outfit Joel had on when he kidnapped Fox. He really was Joel's son, she realized.

As if noticing her for the first time, Kyle scowled at her than at Joel. "Dad, really? Isn't she a little young for you. She's my age."

"I'm twenty-two," Lisa said before the rest of his comment sunk in. "We're not…I'm not."

"She's an old friend of mine and is helping me with a problem," Joel said. It wasn't a lie but still wasn't the entire truth.

Kyle rolled his eyes like he didn't believe him. Lisa couldn't blame him. Despite the vague excuse their being together made no sense unless you knew the entire story. Kyle stared back at Lisa, and a look of recognition spread over his face.

"Aren't' you the host of that show on Animal Planet. That one that is about that neighborhood across town."

"I am," Lisa said. "What are you doing here?"

Kyle turned back to Joel. "Did you forget that it's your weekend. I've been here for like an hour. I tried calling you, but you didn't pick up."  
Lisa remembered Joel playing his phone. The serious look on his face. Why didn't he pick up if he knew it was Kyle?

"Sorry, my phone was on silent," Joel lied. "I'm glad you're here. Sorry, I forgot about your visiting. Things have been really hectic today."

"Should I call Mom to come to pick me up?" Kyle asked.

"No," Joel said immediately. "Things are less hectic now so we can spend as much time together as you want."

Lisa gave him a "what are you doing?" look which Joel promptly ignored. He gazed at his son like he was a lost treasure that he had spent his entire life looking for. Lisa felt a pang of guilt. The way he looked, right now. She had only seen him with that expression when he watched his pups play or sleep.

"No offense Dad, but I just wanted to know where you were. I'm fine chilling here." Kyle's eyes shifted between Joel and Lisa. "In fact, I'm going to go to my room for a little while. Let me know when you are done hanging with your _old friend_." Lisa could practically see the quotes around "old friend."

"Kyle," Joel started, but it was too late. Kyle tossed the remote on the couch and disappeared down the hall. They heard the door shut and then silence.

"What are you doing? We're supposed to find a way to get everything back to normal," Lisa told him.

Joel was not listening. He slowly trudged to the couch and sat down heavily. Lisa spun around the room as if trying to find something she could use to hit Joel over the head. He was blinded by something that wasn't real, and the worse part was that she couldn't blame him. She would have given up just about anything to see her father again.

"What about your other kids?" Lisa asked. It was obvious what was going through his mind at that moment. "Rook, Olive, Ace. They need their father. They deserve a father."

"I know. I know," Joel said a little too loudly. Lisa glanced at the hallway listening to see if Kyle would check on them. "I miss them. I do love them. They are still my kids but so is Kyle. How am I supposed to choose between them?"

An age-old question, Lisa told herself. "Hello, Kyle is still out there. Your pups don't exist here. But back home in the real world, Kyle does. There is still a chance to connect with him, but you'd rather mope in your room." Emotions that had been building up for the last few weeks exploded out of her, and unfortunately, Joel was about to receive the full force. "You are pathetic. Bailey came to see you last night, and you knew it, but you'd were too much of a coward to confront her. I wonder if it's really is Bailey who is the one who is talking this whole Kyle thing the wrong way. You wished you could have been human again, but maybe instead you should have just tried to be a man instead. Talk to her about what you're feeling instead of avoiding her." Lisa's voice faded out as she realized that she was doing that to Kitsune. He came to her each time she called. He was waiting for her, but she was too angry to give him a chance. She'd rather be angry than deal with her feelings. Her anger towards Rowan for leaving her and her anger towards herself for driving him away.

"I drove him away," Lisa whispered. "I drove them both away."

"I'm glad you've come to that realization."

Lisa turned to see the dark face of Rowan standing in the doorway. The front door was wide open, practically knocked off its hinges. His body was covered by the same black cloak as before, and part of his face was obscured by a hood, but she could still see his eyes. One was glowing purple while the other was a sinister gold. He took a step forward, and Lisa could feel dark power radiating from every pore on his body.

"Rowan, you're here," Lisa said. "How?"

He gave them a lopsided smile. "You think that your little magic could affect someone as powerful as me. I must admit I was impressed by the magic you used. To think you still had that kind of power lying inside of you."

"What do you want, Rowan?" Joel asked standing up from the couch.

Rowan raised an eyebrow as he studied Joel. Lisa realized this would be the first time he had seen King's human self as well. "My you have not aged well. I think Pete did you a favor."

"Don't say that name." At that moment, Bishop appeared from the entryway. He scanned the apartment with disgust on his face. His eyes fell on Joel, and he began to growl.

"I brought a guest for you." Rowan waved his hand at Bishop like they were old friends. "I took the liberty on filling him in on what is really going on."

"You stole everything from me. Ruined my life," Bishop growled. "Now I'm going to take something from you."

"Dad, what is going on?" Kyle picked the worst possible time to come out of his room. Several things happened at once. Bishop's turned to Kyle, and their eyes met. The Rottweiler sprung at Kyle who screamed and tried to cover his face. Joel pounced on Bishop, colliding in mid-air. They sailed to the wall and fell to the floor. Bishop did not waste a moment before snapping his massive jaw on Joel's arm. Lisa screamed and tried to help him, but Rowan stood in her path.

"I don't think this involves us. We've done enough interfering for one day," Rowan said smoothly.

"Why are you doing this?" Lisa asked. She searched his face for some sign, a flicker of the old Rowan that was still there. "I know what happened to you. I know about the Hillside Kidnapping."

That caught him off guard his calm demeanor shifted for a second. "I know you gave yourself up for Dakota," Lisa continued, "Why didn't you tell me? I would have understood. I'm sorry I couldn't help you before."

Rowan's purple eye began to water. For a moment Lisa thought she was getting through to him. "You don't know what he went through. You could never understand what they did to him."

"Dakota is safe though," Lisa said. "You saved him. I know deep down that you will find a way to heal him. I'll help you." She was pleading with him now. Pressing her hand over her heart, she held out her hand to him. "We can do it together. Just come back to me."

Rowan closed his eyes and laughed coldly. "I wasn't referring to Dakota. Why would I care about him? I was referring to Rowan."

Lisa's eyes widened as her arm dropped to her side. "You're not Rowan."

With a single wave of his hand, Lisa was sent flying backward through the glass door. She slammed against the railing of the balcony which was the only thing keeping her from falling to the asphalt below. She could taste blood as she stared at the stranger moving towards her.

"Who are you?" she hissed. "What did you do to Rowan?"

"I told you before, I am Revenant." He bent down and gently brushed back some of the hair that had fallen over her face. Up close, Lisa could see that this man was more like a ghost than a man. His skin was so pale and cold. Even his touch sent chills down her spine. His purple eye glowed brighter as he continued, "I am all that remains of the person you knew. The lingering ashes of dark magic both from Drasil and the power forced on Rowan when he was just a child." He grabbed her chin and forced her to look directly at him. She could feel tears flowing down her cheeks. "That's what I wanted to see. The look of utter and complete loss. The man you loved is gone. He was consumed by darkness and pain specifically heartbreak. I am what remains."

He let her go and walked back through the broken door. Lisa struggled to push herself up from off the concrete balcony. She reached out for him like she could grab him and force him to stay. Her voice was shallow and empty as she tried to call for him. He strode past Joel and Bishop still fighting in the hallway. Lisa watched helplessly as he walked out the door and out of sight.

"Dad!" Kyle screamed as Joel was flung through the air. He landed on the coffee table which collapsed under him. He didn't move. Bishop limped over to him with the intent to kill. Lisa had to do something. She grabbed the railing and pulled herself to her feet. Her entire body screamed in pain, but she ignored it. Bishop stood over Joel and held out his claws.

"Stop it!" Lisa screamed.

Bishop brought his claw down on Joel's throat. Lisa's vision turned red. Bishop stepped back to admire his handy work. Out of nowhere, Kyle swung one of the folding chairs at the dog's head. There was a deafening crack, and Bishop fell to the floor. He laid there motionless.

Lisa leaned against the couch as she slowly moved to Joel. His throat was covered in blood. It ran down his shirt and from his mouth. Kyle bent over and tried to stop the bleeding. He looked at Lisa, pleading with her to save his father. Joel blinked up at them both. He gave a small smile.

"Joel," Lisa said letting the tears run down her face. "King."

"Dad hang on. I'll call an ambulance. You can't die," Kyle pulled out his phone, but his hands were too slick to press the screen.

"Kyle," Joel said weakly. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't there for you growing up. I wish things could have been different. All I wanted was to have a chance to be your father."

"Don't talk like that," Kyle said desperately. He continued to struggle with his phone. Joel placed his hand over his son's, and Kyle let the phone drop to the floor.

"I love you, Kyle," Joel said. His hand dropped to the floor, and his eyes began to close.

"I love you too, Dad," Kyle said.

White light filled the entire room, and then there was nothing.

Lisa opened her eyes and found herself in her room back in Milton Manor. She threw off the bed sheets and picked up her phone. The date read November first. It was the same day but what happened? The memory of Joel dying replayed in her mind. She ran to her dresser and put on the first thing she could get her hands on. She was out of the door and then racing down the street towards the Wolf House.

Lisa did not bother knocking or waiting to be invited. She barged into the house much to the surprise of Miles who was reading the paper in his chair. The house was still a mess from the party the night before. Lucretia stuck her head out of the kitchen to see what was going on.

"Where's King?" Lisa asked trying to catch her breath.

Miles stared at her nervously. "He's in his room. What's going on?"

Lisa did not waste a moment to answer. She ran through the house passing a still half-asleep North Star who was barely had time to move out of the way before he was knocked out of the way. She flew open the door and found King sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the floor.

"Oh God, King," Lisa said.

The corgi didn't seem startled back her entrance. He didn't resist when she threw her arms around him.

"Lisa…"

"I'm glad you're alright," Lisa said pulling away from him. She knelt down on the floor so that they were eye level. "You are fine right?" She looked for any injury or sign that anything that happened before had actually happened.

"I'm alright." Lisa could see his body was shaking slightly. What happened had an effect on him. "I need to go see Bailey."

Lisa nodded in agreement. They both stood up and moved to the door. Miles called from the other room, "King, there's someone here to see you."

King and Lisa exchanged looks both clearly thinking the same thing.

When they got to the living room, Lisa expected to see Bailey, but instead, someone completely different was waiting for them.

"Kyle," King said.

"Hey, there," he said nervously. He shifted back and forth on his feet like he was uncomfortable. Usually, when humans were nervous in this house, it was because of the wolves which were all currently watching from various spots. In this case, Kyle was apparently nervous about confronting King.

"What are you doing here?" King asked moving closer. "How did you get here? Does your mother know?"

"That is such a Dad thing to ask," Kyle said. "The answers would be to see you, Uber, and no."

"See me," King glanced up at Lisa who nodded her head. "Do you want to sit down?" King looked around and noticed the sets of eyes all staring at him. "Or not."

Kyle took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "This is going to sound strange, but last night I had a dream about you. About us." He turned his attention to Lisa. "You were there too for some reason."

Lisa's lips pressed together nervously. How much did he remember?

"Anyway, I was living with you, and everything was normal. We were in this apartment and us happy." His voice choked on those last few words. "Then all of a sudden, this monster dog came in and attacked me. You fought it off but before I could help you. He killed you." Kyle paused for a second. Lisa mentally encouraged to keep going. "I saw you die. I can still see the blood. When I woke up, I could feel it on my hands." He held out his hands as if checking to see if they were red.

"You told me loved me and that you sorry." Kyle turned away before speaking again. "When I woke up, I realized that I didn't want to go through that again. There is a part of me deep down that does love you and wants to understand you." He looked King right in the eye.

"I want to be a part of your life," King said. "If you will let me."

"Okay," Kyle said. "How do we do that?"

"Come with me," King said and strolled past him. "I'll take you to see your brother and sisters. They'll love to meet you."

"This is so weird," Kyle said.

King smiled at him and said, "It's doesn't get any less weird."

Lisa followed them out of the house and watched them turn the corner towards Bill house. She knew that things were going to work out for that strange little family. Head down, Lisa walked rapidly down the street almost automatically. She didn't know where she was going until she was there.

Standing in front of her was the oak tree where Kitsune first consoled her and standing in front of it was Kitsune. The wind blew by carrying with it the scent of fall. Lisa veered towards him and walked into his open arms. She let it all out. Pressing her face into his fur, she cried while he held her.

"He's gone," Lisa whimpered. "He's really gone. You were right."

"I'm so sorry, Lisa" Kitsune said softly as he gently rested his head on hers.

She had no idea how long they stood there like that, but at that moment nothing else mattered. To her, they were the only two people in the world.


	8. Chapter 8: Let's Crash a Temple

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 8: Let's Crash A Temple

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from King**

**Things have gotten worse since last time. Rowan has lost his mind, and Lisa is heartbroken about it. From what I've been told, Rowan was kidnapped as a little kid and used as part of a demonic ritual which honestly before everything that's happened to me over the last nine years, I would never believe it or taken that seriously. Apparently, whatever they did is now coming out in the form of Revenant who is bent on causing untold chaos in our world. He is trying to require the mana from four different temples and so far, has two. I can't help because I have my own drama to deal with. I recently found out that I have a human son named Kyle who resented my very existence at first but after a magical mishap involving the last nine years of my life to be reset and me getting the chance to see how my life would have turned out if Pete had not turned me into a dog. It was a lot to deal with, but now Kyle actually wants to get to know me. All it took was me almost dying to get him to admit that he loves me and want to be a part of my family. I've worked hard to get my life to where it is now, and I will not allow anyone to take it from me again. Kitsune, Lisa, and the rest better figure out a way to keep Rowan or Revenant or whatever he's calling himself from destroying the world because if they don't, I'll probably have to do it. Again. **

_**The Sandwich House, Babylon Gardens**_

"Here's what we know," Kitsune said as he tapped the dry erase board with the tip of a metal rod. An expertly drawn image of Rowan stared back at them. "Rowan, I mean Revenant has claimed the power in two of the mana pools left by the four stags. That leaves two more to go." He moved the rod down to the images of four stags. "Drasil aka Duneyr and Dvalin's pools. From what Keene has managed to gather from Henry Milton's notes there is a pool in South America that belongs to Dain. That is our target. Any questions so far."

He turned to face the Sandwich's dining room table where Peanut, Grape, Max, Tarot, and Sabrina were sitting. Simultaneously they raised their paws.

"How do we know that this will be Revenant's target?" Tarot asked.

"What do we do once we get there?" Sabrina asked. "The last time we tried something like this it didn't end well."

"Why am I here?" Max asked.

"Where did that dry erase board come from?" Peanut asked.

"Where's Lisa and Nick? Shouldn't they both be here?" Grape asked.

Kitsune sighed, letting his nine tails drop behind him. He placed his pointer on the table before leaning forward on the table with his paws placed firmly on the wooden surface.

"To answer your questions in order. Durathror was the eldest and most powerful of the brothers. Revenant would need the power of all three of the other stags to reach the mana pool in Durathror's temple. Yes, like before the goal is to drain the mana from the pool. If we can succeed in keeping Revenant from one pool, then we can stop him from ascending to divinity and unleashing chaos in this world. Max, you are here because you are part of this team. Peanut, don't worry about the board right now."

He paused to take a deep breath. "Lisa is still not doing well, so I left her at the manor. Nick is there to try to help her."  
"Isn't that your job?" Grape asked leaning back in her chair. She eyed Kitsune suspiciously before continuing. "Are you not her boyfriend or did you guys really break up.?"

Standing up straight, Kitsune said, "We haven't broken up."

"Yet," Max whispered in Grape's ear. She chuckled slightly, but Kitsune ignored it.

It had been a week since the episode with King being human and Lisa realizing that Rowan had been completely taken over by Revenant. Kitsune decided that she needed time to come to terms with it, so he gave her the space she wanted. He was busy helping Keene and the others decipher the location of the last two temples. Revenant seemed to be two steps ahead of them. No one in Heaven knew where the stags hid their temples which were the point. Kitsune hated feeling helpless. He couldn't help Lisa in her time of need or find the temple. He was a god, but this was something that only the mortals could do for themselves.

Turning to the window, Kitsune let his mind wander to what Lisa was doing while they were discussing the battle plan. She had to be ready for anything because, at that moment, Keene was busy ordering plane tickets for them all.

"Wait, we're taking a plane to South America?" Max asked. Kitsune turned to see the cat's annoyed expression. At first, Kitsune thought he been thinking his thoughts out loud then realized that it was written on the board where the others were looking at. "Can't you teleport us there?"

"Several circumstances are plaguing us at the moment. We don't know where Revenant is or if he already knows where the temple is. If we pop there, then we could alert him to its location or if he's already there, alert him to our presence. The purpose of this mission is not only to reach the mana pool first but also to keep out of harm's way. Revenant has already shown that he's willing to kill to get the mana."

The others exchanged nervous glances. The incident with King had become common knowledge around the neighborhood including Lisa's confrontation with Revenant.

"I for one would just like to get away from Babylon Gardens for a while," Sabrina said. "It's already starting to get cold so going someplace warm for a little while would be a welcome change."

"I wonder how Keene is going to handle this weather now that's he's living out of the mansion?" Peanut pondered."

'Doesn't he disappear this time of year?" Max asked.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Knowing him, he'll come up with some kind of ridiculous scheme."

"Guys, can we remain focused?" Kitsune slammed his paws on the table snapping the others back to the mission.

"Kitsune's right," Tarot said standing up in her chair. "This is serious, and we need to prepare ourselves for anything."

_**Milton Manor**_

Lisa was lying on her bed with her head half buried in her comforter. She lost track of how long she had been laying there. For the last week, Kitsune had tried to make her feel better, and there were times when she thought that she was coming to terms with what happened. But each time, she would have flashes of Rowan's cold gaze as he spoke to her. He told her that Rowan was gone and every time she replayed that moment in her head, all the progress she made vanished. She wished Kitsune was there with her but at the same time knew that it was better that he wasn't' He needed to stop Revenant and to deal with her drama was only hindering that mission.

A knock on the door snapped Lisa out of her daze. She lifted her head up slowly, glancing at her ragged reflection in the mirror. Her long hair was sticking out which matched her sunken face. She had barely eaten in the last week, and it was beginning to show.

"Go away, Kitsune," she yelled at the door.

"It's Nick," the voice answered.

"Oh. Go away, Nick."

"Lisa, please let me in. I've barely seen you in a week, and I'm literally staying next door to you."

Rolling her eyes, Lisa dragged herself off the bed. The floor was ice cold to her bare feet. After running her fingers through her hair, she decided she looked good enough for Nick. She walked to the door and opened it revealing the tall gray wolf. She instantly regretted her decision after seeing the anxiety on his face. His ears were lowered slightly along with his tail.

"Here I am. What do you need?" Lisa asked not bothering with politeness. She appreciated his concern, but this had nothing to do with him.

"Can I come in?" Nick asked nodding towards her bed.

Rolling her eyes, Lisa stepped to the side and gestured for him to enter. Nick strolled past her and sat on the bed. Lisa laid down beside him, staring at the ceiling with her legs dangling from the foot of the bed.

"I'm worried about you. We all are. Kitsune especially." He turned to her. "Are you sure you're ready to go to South America? We have no idea what to expect when we get there. Rowan could be there."  
"I'm going to stop you," Lisa said holding her hand up. "I am going because I have to go. The real question you should be asking yourself is why are you going?" He looked away from her, but she kept going. "You have nothing to do with any of this. This isn't your fight. I appreciate what you did for me, for all of us but you have a book to finish."

"The book's finished," Nick said bluntly almost like a growl.

"What?" Lisa sat up clearly caught off guard. "When did this happen?"

Nick sighed. "A few days ago. I finished the last chapter and began some editing, but it's pretty much finished."

"That's…great." Lisa was lost for words. She knew this would happen eventually but hearing them out loud was like having someone reach into her chest with an ice cream scoop. If Nick were done, then that would mean there was no point in him staying at the manor. "I'm sure Becky is thrilled."

Nick cringed at the name of his fiancé and agent. "I haven't told her yet. Actually, I haven't spoken to her in a few weeks."

"What? Why not?"

"What am I supposed to tell her?" He raised his paws up and stared down at them like they were alien parasites that had attached themselves to the end of his arms. "The book is finished, but that doesn't change anything. I'm still this." He waved at his body. Lisa felt a pang of grief for him. He had been a wolf for four years now and spent most of that time in a cabin in the woods away from people who would only fear him or reject him if they knew the truth. Nick continued, "We can't be together. We can't get married."

"You love each other. Isn't that enough?" Lisa said, but silently she scolded herself for sounding like a Hallmark card. "If you want to change things why don't you stay here?"

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Nick has become a good friend to her over the last few months. He helped save her from the white space and in a lot of ways filled the hole that Rowan left. She needed a friend, someone who could understand her in a way that the pets and Kitsune couldn't. She secretly had been dreading the day that Nick would eventually have to leave the manor. She would be alone but more than that, she didn't think she could handle losing someone else.

"I've thought about it. I can't imagine the ferrets would be to keen on letting me stay here to work on the third book. The only reason I'm here now is because of how long it took just to finish the second one."  
"They let me stay here," Lisa said. "They have so much money and such a big house I don't think they really care about who stays here. Especially now that Keene is living with Breel in the neighborhood."

"It's not the same," Nick said. "Besides, God knows what Cody has done to the cabin over the last few months."

Lisa thought about the infamous cougar that served as Nick's roommate over the last few years. "Have you talked to him lately?"

Nicked nodded and rolled his eyes. "I talked to him the other day. He says the cabin is still there, but part of me doesn't believe him."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Lisa asked.

"I'm going to South America, and I'm going to help you guys stop Rowan."

Lisa was taken aback from the seriousness in Nick's voice. His green eyes were hard as he stared at the wall like there was something only, he could see.

"You don't have to risk your life like this."

"The thing is, I do. You said this isn't my fight, but it is." Nick turned to her. Despite his wolf-ish appearance he never seemed so human to her before. There was a coldness in his eyes but also something else. Fear. "You remember the prophecy I got from the dream about where to find you."

Lisa nodded. "I do. Light the way to lover's arms. From the shadows of forgiveness, there will be no harm. Feelings born from across the reaches of time and space will guide the way through the empty place. Scorn comes from the words left unsaid. The dreams and truths emerge from the queen's head. The heir will speak to the father's pride. The Atlas of the stars will then be your guide. Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end. Heart in hand she will illuminate a past hidden. Only to discover the secret of darkness kept forbidden. One becomes two, two becomes one. Only the knight can finish what has begun. The wolf will howl with his last breath. A hero's sacrifice will spare the heavens' death. It's hard to forget something like that."

"Did I ever tell you about how I heard the prophecy in the first place?"

Lisa thought back but couldn't remember. After everything that had happened since she met Nick and escaped from the white space, some things seemed unimportant. She shook her head.

"I had a dream that I was in this dark house. Becky was there, but she was chained to the floor. She sat in this chair staring out the window at this apocalyptic landscape." Nick paused like the words were hard for him to get out. Lisa wanted to comfort him but didn't know how. Nick took a deep breath and continued, "She kept saying 'It's all gone.' There was this thing in the shadows. A monstrous guard dog almost. I know it was me. At first, I thought it was anxiety about our relationship. I was chaining down by being this. Now I think it was a vision of the future. If Rowan gets the power to corrupt all the animals in the world then what will happen to us?"

"That won't happen," Lisa said. "We'll stop him. I know we will."

"That's easy to say, but this isn't a book where the good guys win," Nick said. "It sometimes doesn't feel real at all. Human transformation is one thing. I've accepted that is real but Heaven, demonic possession, divine powers, gods and deer. It's all so crazy. You're from another world, how am I supposed to understand how that works."

Lisa didn't have an answer. There was a time when she felt like none of this was real. Like she all of this was still a comic that she and Rowan would read together.

"If Rowan succeeds then what will happen to me?" Nick pressed a paw against his chest. "I'm an animal too, and it scares me to think that I could become that monster lurking in the shadows. I could forget who I am and become something else. When I first changed, I had the same impulses and instincts as a regular wolf. I fought hard to keep them down and learn to deal with them. They're still there inside me. Even if the corruption doesn't affect me the same way as a 'normal' animal, I know that I will hurt someone."

Lisa bit her lip. She didn't realize that Nick was going through so much. Some friend she was. Despite everything that had happened she still wasn't good at recognizing when someone close to her was suffering.

"You're not alone with any of this. I was wrong to say this has nothing to do with you. Honestly, I'm glad you're here with us. Whatever happens, we are in this together." Lisa stood up and turned to him. "I'm done crying and feeling sorry for myself. Rowan needs to be stopped, and we're going to do it together. You, me, Kitsune, and the rest of the pets. This affects everyone, and no matter what happens I'm glad you are here with us."

She held out her hand, and Nick smiled before taking it. He stood up, and Lisa could see his tail wagging behind him but suppressed the chuckle that was threatening to come out.

At that moment, Lisa's phone buzzed. She let go of Nick's paw and reached in her pocket to pull it out. Reading the screen, she said, "Keene got everything set for us to go to Peru. We're leaving early tomorrow morning on his private jet."

"Ooh, a private jet. This should be fun." Nick said with a slight grin.

Lisa put her phone away. "At least he's letting us use the jet. When King and the rest had to go to Australia stop Pete, they took a commercial flight."

"I know Keene is technically my boss in a way, but he is so strange," Nick said heading to the door.

"You have no idea," Lisa told him. "Remind me to give you Rowan's tablet. I have a feeling that you should familiarize yourself with what the temples are like."

_**Sky Over the Atlantic Ocean**_

Nick hated flying. As a child, his parents would take him on vacations to other countries, but each time he got on a plane, his body would freeze up. He essentially was a statue for the entire flight. The sheer image of dying in a fireball dropping from the sky was too much for him. He could never sit by the window without covering his eyes the entire time. As he got older, he was able to handle his anxiety better, but the fear never went away.

Here he was on a private jet, sitting on a long couch with one hand gripping an iPad while his other was claw deep in the leather. The others were busy staring out the window as the ocean blew by beneath them. He tried to ignore the excited yelling coming from Peanut as he stared out the window with his tail wagging behind him. Nick scanned the cabin at the others. Sabrina and Grape were both sleeping. Max was looking almost as uncomfortable as Nick felt. Tarot was bent over a table with several papers spread out in front of her. From where Nick was sitting, he could make out a large map of their destination.

Before take-off, Kitsune explained what was going to happen. "We're all flying to Cusco, Peru then taking a car to what is known as the Valley of the River. That is where Dain's temple is located according to Henry Milton's notes."

"Valley of the River?" Lisa sounded confused. "I've never heard of that place."

"It's not well known. Most likely it doesn't exist in your world. It was home to the Jaca civilization which was made up almost entirely of jaguars."

"That would explain it then," Lisa said.

"Remember I can't help you once we get to the valley. It would be better if I don't enter the valley at all, so I'm going to have to leave you once we get close."

Nick felt Lisa tense up beside him. Kitsune continued, "The temple should work the same way as Pete's temple, so I've asked Peanut to bring paper bags for this mission. On the flight, you will all have to decide what class of fighter you want."

Peanut started handing out paper bags. Nick was hesitant to take one, but Lisa gave him a slight nudge, and he accepted it. When Peanut got to Tarot and Sabrina, they said, "No thanks, hon. We're prepared." Tarot placed a strange mask over her face, and Sabrina pulled out a witch hat. Nick glanced at Lisa who gave him a pitiful look and whispered that she would explain it later.

After that the boarded the plane and took off. That was a few hours ago. According to Nick's watch, they had another hour before reaching Cusco. So far, he'd spent the flight flipping through the comic on the iPad Lisa gave him when they sat down. She went ahead and bookmarked the pages he was supposed to read. He was entertained by the wacky adventures the pets had been on before his arrival but more than that he was worried about what lied in wait for them in Peru. He could feel the paper bag burning a hole in his backpack as he thought about what to write on it. Glancing over at Lisa, he willed her to come over to him, but she was busy talking with Kitsune. He couldn't see her face with her back turned to him but judging by Kitsune's serious expression, whatever they were talking about was a big deal.

Nick turned his attention back to the screen but wasn't reading. His mind wandered back to the other conversation he had the night before. After talking to Lisa, he decided to call Becky.

"Hello." Hearing Becky's voice almost brought Nick to tears. He didn't realize how much he missed hearing it. "Nick? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I wanted to call you and tell you the book's finished." Nick waited for a response but got nothing.

"Why don't you sound happy about that?" Becky asked. There was concern laced in her voice. She knew something was bothering him even over the phone she could tell.

Nick didn't know how to explain what he was feeling. Becky didn't know about the strange things going on in Babylon Gardens or that the fate of the world somehow rested with him and the rest of his friends. How could he even begin to tell her what was going on? "It's just. What's going to happen now?"

"You sound like this is your first book," Becky laughed. "You send it to me, and we have the editors look over it. We've done this before."

"Becky," Nick said sharply. "You know what I'm talking about."

There was silence on the other end. "I know." Silence again. Nick's heart beat inside his chest like he was running a marathon. He felt breathless and exhausted just standing there. "What do you want to do, Nick? Do you want to go back to your cabin and work on your third book there or do you want something different?"

"I want something different. Being here made me realize that hiding in the woods isn't working. I want to be with people again. I want to be with you."

"Nick, we've been over this before." Her voice was breaking. He was upsetting her. "Do you want to do this now? Over the phone?"

"I need to know, Becky." Tears began to roll from his eyes. "What is going to happen to us? We can't keep living like this anymore. I'm trying to find a way to get things back to the way it was, but if that doesn't happen, then we need to decide what we want."

"Nick." He could tell she was getting more and more upset. "I don't know what to do. I never did."

At that moment, the dream came rushing back to him as his ears flattened against his head. He didn't want Becky to get dragged into this no matter what happened. He couldn't become the monster he saw or the monster he already felt like he was. "Becky let's talk about this later. The other reason I'm calling is that I'm leaving the country for a few days. I can't tell you where exactly, but you won't be able to call me." He hated lying to her. The truth was that Keene had already supplied them all with satellite phones. "Come to Babylon Gardens as we planned. The deadline we set with the publisher. We can talk about it then."

Silence.

"Becky are you still there?" Nick asked gripping the phone tighter in his fingers.

"Is this what you want?" Becky whispered.

"No, but it's what's best for us both," Nick stopped himself before he could say anything else.

"I know," she said, and Nick felt like someone jammed a knife through his heart.

"I love you, Becky. No matter what happens to remember that."

"I love you too, Nick." With those final words, she hung up but not before he could hear a loud sob coming from the other end.

Someone sat down next to him, bring Nick back to reality. Lisa stared at him like she was trying to read his mind. Something flashed in her eyes like she realized something was wrong with him and knew what it was.

"We're almost to Cusco, so you need to get ready." She waited for a reaction then asked. "Nick, did something happen?"

He didn't look at her, only kept his eyes on the tablet in his paw. A tear fell on the screen blurring one of the images. He squeezed his eyes shut. "I think that Becky and I might have broken up."

_**Valley of the River**_

The car ride from the airport to the valley was long, bumpy, and most of all awkward. Kitsune was at the wheel seeing that it was better for a divine being to drive rather than Lisa or one of the others. Lisa was in the front seat watching the scenery fly by as they drove. Behind her, she could feel Nick's sadness coming off in waves. The others could feel it too even if they didn't know exactly what was going on.

Before they landed, Nick told her about his conversation with Becky and what happened between them. Lisa tried to comfort him, but he told her that he wanted to be alone. Lisa honored his wish knowing exactly how he felt.

The rest of the pets were tense as the car drove. Lisa kept stealing glances in the rearview mirror at them. Grape and Peanut were sitting next to Nick with Max, Tarot, and Sabrina in the very back. Knowing what they were about to do, no one was in a talkative mood.

After a few hours of driving, Kitsune pulled the car to the side of a dirt road and put it park. He looked over at Lisa who nodded. It was time. She opened the door and stepped out. The morning sun shone down on them feeling like a blessing. The temperature was already high despite it being the middle of November. After being in Babylon Gardens for so long, she was no longer used to the heat. She grabbed her bag as the side door opened. The rest of the team poured out. Nick walked to one of the trees and stood there with his back turned to the others.

"Where is the temple?" Peanut asked. He had his camera out and was already taking pictures. Lisa wanted to tell him to put it away. This wasn't a family vacation but couldn't bring herself to scold the poor dog. They would need Peanut's optimistic nature if they were going to make it through this challenge.

"The temple is still a few miles from here," Kitsune turned and pointed into the trees where Nick stood. "I can sense the magic from mana from here. This is as close as I can get without alerting Revenant to our presence."

"Is he here?" Tarot asked looking around like he could pop out of the bushes at any moment.

"He's been through here," Nick called. He had knelt to the ground. His head was bent over like he was sniffing the dirt like a real dog. "His scent is faint, but he's definitely passed through here. I would say at most twelve hours ago."

"How can you tell?" Lisa said sounding impressed.

"I lived in the woods for four years. You pick up a few skills. Plus, my parents were big into camping, so I know how to track."

"That settles it then," Tarot said. "Nick, you can lead the way to the temple. The rest of us will have to remain vigilant in case any surprises are waiting for us."

"Who put her in charge?" Max whispered to Grape only to get elbowed by Sabrina.

Stepping towards Nick and Tarot, Sabrina said, "We need to get going. Revenant already has a lead on us, so we have to catch up. Kitsune, can you tell if he's reached the mana pool yet."

Kitsune shook his head. "I can still sense it from here. He's hasn't gotten there yet."

Tarot nodded. "Then we still have a chance of reaching it before him. Peanut, Grape, Max, put on your paper bags and let's get going."

Lisa watched as they all put on their bags. Peanut went with the classic Puzzle Master again as per Tarot's recommendation back on the plane. Grape went with ninja again. Max was the only one who changed this time. His bag read, "Warrior."

"Really, Max. I'm surprised you would want the warrior class," Lisa said to him as he pulled out a broad ax from the trunk of the car.

"Well, I'm tired by being useless during these adventures. I thought that maybe if I had a strong class, then I could actually hold my own."

"You weren't useless went you went into Pete's temple," Lisa said.

He swung the ax around as if checking its weight. "Really, do you remember me doing anything useful. I was sent away as soon as we reached the pool."

Lisa thought back to the comic. As far as what was shown, Max's role was limited. He was the one who read the incantation and was teleported away.

"Well, either way. I'm proud of you for wanting to try to help," Lisa told him.

Max looked grim. He looked past her at Peanut and Grape who were both laughing behind Lisa. "If I'm being honest, I'm trying to impress Grape."

Lisa felt a ripple run up her spine. "Why? She's your girlfriend. You don't have to impress her."

"She's been acting extra chummy with Peanut lately. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to make her realize that I'm a real boyfriend and not just eye-candy. I can do stuff and be the hero."

He walked past her before Lisa could respond to the "eye-candy" comment. Shaking her head, she pulled out her own paper bag. She held it her hand like it was a live bomb. The memory of the last time she did something like this came rushing back to her. The feeling of divine power flowing through her as she placed her tiara on her head. Followed by the surge of energy as she blasted Drasil. Most of it was a blur, but she remembered one thing perfectly. Rowan calling to her and reaching for her hand as she faded away. The desperation in his eyes haunted her still. Putting on the tiara was another burden that she had to bear on her shoulders. Another reason that everything that had happened to Rowan was her fault. Guilt clawed at her heart as she gripped the bag, feeling the paper crumble in her fingers.

"Lisa," She turned to see Kitsune standing behind her. The others were already disappearing in the shadows of the tree with Nick leading them.

"I need to get going," she said and walked past Kitsune only for him to grab her arm and stop her.

"Lisa, this isn't your fault," he said to her. Lisa felt exasperated.

She gave a weak grin as she turned to him. He let go of her arm and leaned in closer to her. His scent washed over as his warm eyes seemed to peer into her soul and heart. "Was it that obvious what I was thinking?"

"It was," he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his furry body. She pressed her hand on his chest, letting her fingers intertwine in his cream-colored fur. The other hand still gripped the paper bag so tightly she was sure her nails would rip into it. "I know you better than you know yourself."

"I have to do this, but I still feel like he's there somewhere. Am I fooling myself even after everything that's happened?"

"If you want to know what I think, as long as we can keep him from getting any more power then maybe there is a chance to save him."

Lisa froze as Kitusne continued, "One thing I've learned over my entire existence is that hope is a powerful thing, and so is love."

"Kitsune…" Lisa started to say, but he cut her off.  
"I know you love him and if he's the one you want, then I'll understand. It's your choice."

"That's not it. I do love him, but I want you," Lisa said drawing her body closer to his. "I wish you were coming with us. Not only to add some divine muscle to our team but for my sake. I know why you can't but still. I need you with me."

"I love you, Lisa," Kitsune whispered in her ear.

Lisa felt her eyes water but blinked a couple of times to keep them from coming out. "I love you, too."

They separated from each other. Kitsune said, "You don't need me. You have everything you need there." He pointed at the bag in her hand. "If things do go south, then I'll be there for you and the others."

Without another word, Lisa walked into the trees and not long after turned around. Kitsune and the car were entirely out of view, but she could still feel him like a thread connecting the two of them. Hurrying along, she reached the valley.

True to its name there was a large river that cut through the entire landscape. In the very center was a large stone temple that towered over the trees and jungle. Despite its age, it looked better than most of the ruins she had seen in the pictures when she researched ancient South American civilizations. The stones had an almost orange gleam to them as the sun shone down on them like the entire temple was encased in fire.

Finding the trail down into the valley, Lisa caught up to the others. No one said anything, but she received a few sly smirks from Grape and Sabrina like they knew what she had been up too with Kitsune. Ignoring them, Lisa walked up to the front beside Nick. He was focused entirely on the trial. After a few minutes, he pointed at something in the dirt. Lisa looked down and saw that it was a footprint. She recognized it instantly as one of Rowan's.

After that, they moved double time. Something felt wrong as Lisa walked. It took a little while, but she realized what it was.

"It's so quiet," she said. "Where are all the animals that live here?"

Nick sniffed the air. "Nothing. I don't think there are any animals around here."

"I could be because they know that this place is scared or cursed even," Sabrina interjected. "This land was once ruled by jaguars so they could be avoiding it out of fear."

"Or they sense what's in the temple," Lisa whispered.

When they reached the bottom of the valley, they found themselves at the bank of the river. The current was too strong to swim across, and the other bank was too far away. Lisa looked around for a bridge of some kind, but there was nothing.

"Guys check this out," Peanut called from farther down the bank. He was staring at something in the water.

The others walked over to him and looked down at what he was staring at. It was a stone tablet half buried in the muck. The words were slightly faded but still visible.

"Is that Spanish?" Lisa asked feeling a sense of dread growing in her stomach. She hated having to learn Spanish in high school then in college. She sucked at it and barely passed her classes with a C average. Over the years everything she learned had been quickly forgotten.

"It says, 'Crossing miles of ocean, the vastness of the deep. The dark mouth is it to keep. Running along in the to the end of time. Washing away what is left behind." Nick finished reading the words and crossed his arms against his chest. "What is that even supposed to mean?"

"I didn't know you spoke Spanish," Lisa said sounding impressed.

"My parents thought it was important for me to learn both Spanish and French at a young age. Right now, I wish they taught me more about riddles."

"Is that even a riddle?" Max asked leaning over the water. "It doesn't make sense. What is it even asking?"

"Did you read it right?" Grape asked.

"Yes, I did," Nick growled causing Grape to take an instinctive step back. "Sorry, it's just Kitsune didn't tell us anything about a riddle."

"We can try to find another way across the river, but it might take too long," Tarot said. Lisa could see the Pomeranian was lost in thought but whether it was about the riddle or an alternative way of passing was lost on her.

"If only Peanut could use his Puzzle Master power," Lisa mumbled to herself but loud enough for the others to hear. "It's clearly a what am its riddle. So, it is referring too."

"It's not a normal riddle that's for sure," Peanut said.

"Do you know anything about riddles, Peanut," Grape asked.

"I know a few. Like the one about what walks on four, two, and three legs. Man. What gets wetter as it dries. A sponge." He pressed his paw to his forehead. "This one is confusing. Parts of it seem to not even matter to the riddle.

Something clicked in Lisa's head as soon as the words were out of Peanut's mouth. "Your right. Look at it again. The first two lines are unimportant. It's talking about the river but now the answer." She bent over and stuck her hand into the water.

"Lisa that is not sanitary," Nick told her.

"The water is the key. What is something that is washed away by the current? If this river was dry but refilled from the ocean, then what would be washed away?" Lisa shot up and shouted, "Footsteps."

The ground underneath them shook, and the water in front of them rose up forming an arc in the air. They had a clear path to the other side. Without wasting a moment, they all crossed to the other side. As soon as they had made it the water crashed down washing away the footprints they left in the soft mud.

"That was incredibly impressive," Nick said to Lisa. The others nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but I think that there will be a lot more than just that one."

"Once we get to the temple, I can use my Puzzle Master's power to get through any others," Peanut said holding up his paper bag.

They kept going. The temple loomed in front of them. The closer they got, the more impressive it looked. Two jaguar statues stood at the base of a long staircase leading to the entrance. They each held large spears that were crossed in the air. At their waists were long stone swords and they were both dressed in outfits that instantly reminded Lisa of Teoxihuitl including a feathered headdress.

As they drew closer to the statues, their eyes glowed red, and a voice rang from nowhere. "Those who seek the Temple of Flame, hear these words," the first statue spoke in a low rumbling sound like the earth itself was speaking.

The second statue spoke. "From nothing comes darkness and from darkness comes light. Only those who seek justice can hold it, and those who lie can never claim it."

Together they spoke at the same time. "It is hidden but can never stay unseen. To enter this temple, you must tell us what you seek."

The statues moved on their own. The jaguar's spears separated and quicker than Lisa thought possible they were pointed directly at them. The glowing red eyes burned like fire as they stood there ready to strike them down if anyone made a wrong move.

"What do we do now?" Sabrina asked.

"We have to tell them what we seek," Tarot told them. Taking a step forward, she opened her mouth to answer but before she could get a word out the first jaguar stabbed his spear at Tarot's feet causing her to yelp and jumped back.

"There is only one answer," the statue said. "Answer incorrectly, and it will be the final word you ever speak."

They huddled together and tried to figure out the answer.

"This is ridiculous. We're not even in the temple yet," Max complained.

Lisa agreed. The first one was hard enough, but now their lives were on the line. They all looked to her for an answer, but she was drawing a blank. She looked at each of them until her eyes fell to Nick. He was lost in thought but seeing him reminded her of something.

"I know the answer," she said. Breaking away from the others she moved back to the statues who raised both their spears as she drew close.

"Lisa, are you sure?" Grape called from a safe distance.

Swallowing her fear, Lisa said, "The truth. That's the answer."

For a second nothing happened, and Lisa was afraid that she might have gotten it wrong. Then the statues slammed the blunt ends of their spears on their pedestals, and the light in their eyes died. They were frozen once more.

The others rushed over to her. "How did you know that," Tarot asked.

Lisa turned to Nick who was beaming at her. "I remember something Rowan, and I did once in college. We spent a weekend binging Teen Wolf. One of the seasons had a pack whose motto was an old Buddhist chant. 'Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.' Nick reminded me of that, and suddenly the riddle made sense."

"Glad I could help you," Nick said smiling at her.

"Let's keep moving," Sabrina said.

They headed up the long staircase to the top of the temple. Once at the top they were greeted by a large stone door in the shape of a circle similar to the one in front of Pete's temple. The image of two jaguars and the head a deer was engraved into the stone.

"If only the opener of ways was here," Lisa said laughing.

"I don't think Zach will be much help here," Sabrina said moving toward the stone slab.

"No, it was a joke…oh never mind." Lisa said. "You see a button or something."

"Nothing like that," Sabrina told them. "This doorway was not designed to be opened easily. Most likely another riddle will open it."

"Here it is," Nick called from the side of the door. "It's in Spanish again. It says, 'I cannot be moved to the left or right. Up or down.' That's it."

"That can't be it," Grape said joining Nick. Peanut walked up beside her, and together they examined the encryption.

"This reminds me of one of those apps," Max said. They all looked at him like he grew a second head. Looking uncomfortable, he explained, "You know like those moron test apps. You get points if you can solve the problem as quickly as possible. It seems hard at first but there is usually is a simple solution."

"I never played those kinds of games," Lisa said.

"I think I understand though," Nick said. He walked to the door and examined it again. He looked up the deer's head. Reaching up, he gripped both antlers and pulled.

"Um, Nick what are you doing?" Lisa asked.

Nick pulled harder, letting loose a loud howling sound and suddenly the door moved outward. His muscles rippled under his shining gray fur as he took a step back. After a few more steps there was a large enough gap for each of them to squeeze through.

Nick let go and collapsed on the stone. Lisa rushed beside him, pulling out a bottle of water from her bag and giving it to him. He drank from it greedily before handing it back to her.

"Thanks," he said breathlessly. "That was harder than I thought it would be."

Lisa grinned to herself, unable to hide her feelings of pride. "You solved it for us, and I don't think anyone else could have done that. I'm definitely glad you're here."

"I just drew on my feelings of bitter rage and frustration," Nick said catching his breath. Lisa knew he was serious. He continued, "Let's go. We have a temple to crash."

Together they followed the others inside. Together they stood in the threshold of the temple and pulled out their paper bags. Tarot and Sabrina already had theirs on, so they went on ahead.

"Tarot, wait for us," Peanut cried as he lifted the paper bag with the words "Puzzle Master" written on it.

"Do you smell something?" Nick asked. He lifted his muzzle and sniffed the air. His eyes grew wide, and he screamed, "Gas! Everyone outside now!"

A loud hissing noise filled the air as they ran outside. Lisa could fill an intense heat surround her, burning the tips of her hair as she raced into the sunlight. The entryway was filled with orange and red flames that consumed the very space they were just standing in. Her heart was beating in her ears. If Nick hadn't said something when he did, they would have been charred to the bone.

Screaming and howling filled the air. "AH!" Lisa turned on her heel recognizing Peanut's agonizing screaming. He threw something on the ground and was stomping on it with his foot. His hat had caught fire. Lisa rushed over and pushed him out of the way. She slammed her foot on the growing flames, but it was too late, the Puzzle Master hat was nothing but ash.

"What do we do now?" Grape asked walking over to survey the damage. "That was our key to making it through the temple. What's going to happen if we run into a trap or puzzle that's as difficult as the ones in Pete's temple?"

"I highly doubt anyone could come up with puzzles are sadistic and cruel as Pete," Tarot said firmly. "I have still have my years of experience dealing with demigods and their ways of doing things. Lisa has already proven that she is clever with riddles. Between the seven of us, we should be fine."

Lisa was not so sure. So far they managed to reach the temple, but the riddles she solved was because of luck and chance. It was true that Tarot was most likely the smartest of them all and could think in a way that the rest couldn't, but Peanut was their ace. She looked back at the jungle wishing Kitsune would appear with another paper bag and an encouraging smile. It didn't happen. He was most likely still at the car waiting for them.

"I think the path is clear. I can't smell any more gas or anything. If the trap resets itself automatically it will take a while," Nick told them.

"Just to be on the safe side, maybe you should take the lead," Max suggested slipping behind Grape. The rest of them rolled their eyes but said nothing.

Nick nodded and entered the temple once again. Lisa was right behind him. As soon as they crossed the threshold, their paper bags disappeared, and their clothes were replaced with outfits matching what was written on the bags.

"Okay, let me just asked since I didn't get a chance to see it but what are you supposed to be?" Lisa asked examining Nick's ensemble. He wore something that resembled leather armor including a chest plate and pants. His hair had grown twice as long and tied itself in a ponytail that draped past his shoulders. His claws and fangs had grown longer and suddenly had a much more threatening appearance. Even his fur seemed thicker and rougher like he had been living in the woods for a year.

"I'm a wolf-walker," he told her like it was obvious.

"Is that from your book?" Lisa asked then immediately slammed her hands over her mouth, but it was too late.

Nick stopped and growled at her. "You still haven't read my book?" His eyes glowed with a dark rage that Lisa hoped was just an effect of the temple.

"I'm sorry, but you know things have been crazy lately. I promise once all this is over, I'll read it. I'll even read the draft of the second one if you want."

"No thanks," he said bitterly. "To answer your question, no the wolf-walker from a game I used to play. Rite of Realms. It's an MMORPG"

"Never heard of it. Must be something from this world," she said. "I was never into those type of games."

"What are you supposed to be?" Nick asked nodded at Lisa's new outfit.

Her t-shirt and shorts had been replaced with a short-skirt and colorful uniform with a glowing gem on her chest. "I'm a warrior princess. Apparently, the temple read it as I wanted to be some kind of anime character." She gestured at the long braids protruding from both sides of her head each adorned with a glittering ribbon. Light blue streaks were running down the twists that seemed to glow in the warm light of the hall.

"This isn't happening," she said and undid the hair braids. She let her abnormally long hair fall behind her and dropped one of the ribbons on the floor before replacing the other one in her hair. Satisfied with her look she grinned at Nick who rolled his eyes.

They made the rest of the trip down the hallway in silence. The tension was heavy in the air. Peanut was sulking over the loss of his hat and powers. The others were busy watching for more hidden traps. The hall itself was lined with torches. Lisa tried to remove one, but it held tight. There wasn't even a coin slot like in the comic which made Lisa think that might have been a joke and not something that actually happened. They continued until they reached the end of the hall where they found themselves at a dead-end.

"There must be a trick to this," Nick said touching the massive stone wall in front of them. He felt around for a switch or stone to press but found nothing.

"What's that up there?" Grape asked pointing at something above their heads.

Lisa lifted her head to see what Grape was pointing at. "DOCE? Isn't that Spanish for twelve?"

"Twelve what?" Peanut asked. As soon as the words left his lips the tiles on the floor began to glow. Seven in all. They all stepped back and examined the glowing tiles.

Taking a chance, Nick stepped on one, and the color changed from a vivid white to a cool blue. "Stand on the tiles, and maybe something will happen."

"I don't know about this," Tarot said bending down to examine the tile in front of her. "How do we know this isn't a trick?"

"We don't," Grape interjected. "But considering this is our only lead at the moment we should take the risk." She stepped on one tile, and Peanut and Max followed her example.

Sabrina took a deep breath and stepped one. Tarot sighed and reluctantly stepped on hers. Lisa was last. She stepped on the last tile, and once it turned blue, a loud whistling noise filled the hall.

"What is that?" Lisa asked.

The tile beneath her feet disappeared leaving her standing on empty air. She screamed as she fell into the darkness. At the same time, the other's tiles disappeared sending them plummeting into the nothingness.

Lisa screamed at the top of her lungs as she fell. She expected to splat against the ground but instead fell into a large pool of ice-cold water. She sank partly to the bottom before opening her eyes. She was surrounded by glowing moss growing on the rocks that formed the base of the pool. Kicking her legs, she swam to the surface taking a deep breath of fresh air when she broke through. She was in an underground cavern filled with large red crystals that decorated the walls and ceilings. Spinning around in the water she looked for a shore or something she could swim to, but there was nothing.

"Hello," a voice echoed around the cavern.

Lisa turned around and screamed. Standing on the water behind her was a giant deer. He must have been twelve feet tall not including the antlers that almost reached the ceiling. He was a young deer with a boyish grin on his face. Once Lisa calmed down, she realized that the deer was only a hologram. She could faintly see the far wall through the deer's body.

"My name is Dain, and this is what I call the Trial of Heat," the deer said.

Lisa remembered this like this from the comic when Thomas was cursed by the treasure. Pete had a hologram recording. Dain's words registered in Lisa's head, and she asked, "Trial of Heat."

"If you want to escape this trial and continue through the temple then you find a way to escape this room," Dain spoke like this was a game. "At the bottom of the pool is a doorway that will take you forward, so all you have to do is swim to the bottom and find it. But there is a catch." Dain pointed to the crystals which steadily started to glow brighter. "I meant it when I said 'Trial of Heat.' Those crystals will keep growing hotter and hotter until this entire room is turned into a forge. This water you're in will begin to boil so you may want to hurry."

"What!?" Lisa screamed at Dain's image disappeared. She could feel the room growing warmer. The water was still cold, but that wouldn't last long. With no other option, she sucked in a lung full of air and dived before the surface. She was never a strong swimmer but somehow managed to make it to the bottom of the pool. The base was sparsely covered in moss which helped, but Lisa had no idea what to look for. Worse the lake was fairly large, and which meant she had a lot of ground to examine.

After a few seconds, Lisa's lungs screamed for air, and she kicked off the ground and swam back to the surface. She reached the top and fell the air burning her cold skin. Even the water was lukewarm now. The way the crystals glowed reminded Lisa of the coil in an oven. Her face twisted in rage as she dived again. What kind of trial was this? Were all the stags psychopaths?

Lisa glared at the bottom of the pool almost willing for the exit to appear with bright neon letters and maybe even an arrow. That would have been nice, but unfortunately, that did not happen. The water around her was growing hotter so now it was like swimming in a warm bath. At any other time, she would be relaxed but not now. Panic was beginning to fill her chest. She was running out of time. She swung her body around in a circle hoping for something to jump out of her. And froze.

At the far corner of the pool was a patch of moss that was not like the rest. It was a perfect square. Lisa blinked a few times and noticed that the moss was glowing brighter than the rest. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen so with no other choice Lisa swam to the surface. The air was suffocating when she breathed. The heat was so intense she felt like she could pass out. The pool had turned into a hot tub with steam filling the cavern. Without wasting another second, she dived back down. She kicked and moved her arms as fast as she could. Once she reached the glowing square, she felt around for something to grab, but there wasn't a handle or anything that could help her.

Her skin burned from the water causing her to scream silently. Jamming her fingers under the moss, she tried to peel it off the ground. She managed to lift the moss up and with it came the stone it was attached to revealing a small passage. Lisa propelled her through the hole in the rock and found herself falling into thin air. She fell down for a second until landing on her stomach on what appeared to be a stone slide. Her wet body sped her descent down towards the bottom.

Nick was growing tired. The glowing deer thing called this the "Trial of Twins" but Nick had a few better names for it, none of which would be appropriate to say out loud. Two phantom jaguars ran around him in circles on a floating steel platform. They were both yellow, but one had glowing red spots while the other had blue spots. Both were armed with long swords that were encased in red and blue fire respectively.

He jumped back as the red jaguar blasted him with its flame and as soon as Nick landed the blue jaguar charge at him, swinging its sword. Nick dodged the swing and swiped upward with his claws. The jaguar expertly dodged and backflipped to the edge of the platform.

Nick could still see the red jaguar slowing its pace. It let loose a low growl. Nick tensed ready for a strike. Instead, the jaguar raised its sword and conjured several fireballs in the air.

"Oh, come on!" Nick cried as the fireballs sailed towards him. He jumped and ducked feeling each one pass by him. The last one managed to sear his fur causing him to howl in pain. Rage filled his vision, and he charged at the jaguar. He swiped at the cat with his claw, but the jaguar moved out of the way. Nick was ready this time. He kicked out with his right leg hitting the cat in its side. The jaguar was sent sprawling to the edge of the platform. Nick ran towards it, lips peeling back in a threatening grimace. He was already in a foul mood and was ready to take it out on anything that got in his way. The jaguar raised his sword, but Nick knocked it away with a slash of his claws. His vision turned hazy as his ears were filled with Becky's words, "Is this what you want?" Nick screamed and howled as her words penetrated deep into his skull like a drill. Tears ran down his face as he struck the jaguar. After three powerful strikes, the jaguar disappeared into a red mist. Nick didn't stop, he kept slamming his fists against the steel floor unable to contain his anger and pain.

Behind him, the blue jaguar leap towards him but Nick didn't notice until he could feel the heat of the flame against his fur. He turned around to see the pale eyes of the jaguar inches from his face. Nick closed his eyes ready for the end, but it didn't come. A giant purple flame appeared from nowhere and consumed the jaguar before it could strike. When the fire disappeared, there was nothing left of the jaguar except blue mist.

"That was a close one," a cold voice said.

Nick instantly recognized the voice. He stood up to face Revenant who was watching him with a slight hint of amusement on his face. Nick took a step back, not taking his eyes off the other man. He looked exactly like he did before with the same long black cloak and a black mark on the left side of his face surrounding his glowing golden eye. The right eye was glowing purple as Lisa described to him. There was something different about him though. He looked tired. His hair was dull and long as well as his fingernails. He seemed thinner as well like he hadn't had a decent meal in weeks.

"What do you want?" Nick asked. "I'm not exactly in a good mood, so if you want to fight, I'll be happy to give you one."

"Fighting you would be a waste of time and energy. If I wished it I could send you flying off this stage and into what I can only assume is a bottomless pit." Nick peered over the edge and into the darkness below.

Across the room, a stone panel opened revealing the exit. The platform shuttered and moved towards the doorway until it hit the wall, closing the gap between the two.

"There you go. The trial is complete, and you can move on," Revenant said lifting his hand towards the doorway.

Nick didn't move from his spot or take his eyes of Revenant. "What do you want? I know you didn't save my life just so I could continue on through the temple."

Revenant frowned. "How do you know that isn't exactly why I did it?" He took a step forward causing a slight growl to escape Nick's mouth. "I don't need you to trust me. I don't care what you think about me. I am here to offer you a choice."

"What kind of choice?" Nick asked. He narrowed his eyes not sure if he should bother listening or simply run towards the doorway. He needed to warn the others that Revenant was in the temple.

"I can give you what you want more than anything," Revenant smiled cruelly at Nick not bothering to hide his amusement. "I can make you human again."

Nick's body froze to the spot. Everything faded away except him and Revenant. There was a sharpness in the back of his head as the realization of what he was being offered filled his mind. Becky's face filled his vision as well as the scenario he always imagined for them if he returned to her fully human again.

"And what do you want in return," Nick asked. "Although I know the answer. I've written from the perspective from the villain enough times to know exactly how you think." He pressed his paw against his chest and scowled. "You want me to either betray my friends or be your spy."

"Bingo, wolfy." He laughed, but there was no warmth in the sound. A chill ran up Nick's spine. His stomach churned with disgust at what he was hearing. "I'm not trying to be original or come up with some complex plot. I have simple needs and a simple method of getting them. Judging from the look on your face and the way your ears are pressed against her head, you don't want to help me." His smile was instantly replaced with a serious expression. "I will succeed no matter what happens. This disgusting world will be destroyed by my hands. You have a choice to either spend the rest of your life, no matter how long that may be, with the woman you love or become the monster you always feared you really are."

"How?" Nick muttered. Fear swelled inside him. "How did you know?"

"My powers are beyond your understanding or your imagination. Not to mention it is not hard to see it in your eyes. The longing to have something that was cruelly stolen from you. Was it fair for you to be cursed right after you were engaged? To spend the last few years alone in the woods like a feral animal. Watch as the woman you love slowly distances herself from you."

"Stop talking!" Nick shouted. His entire body burned as his fur stood on end. He wanted nothing more than to charge at the man in front of him and tear his throat out, but he held firm.

"I'll let you think about it. When the time comes, you will know what to do. Remember what I said. It's your choice to either remain a monster or to return to normalcy." Revenant paused before saying, "Not everyone gets that choice."

Nick's ears perked up at the way the same that last part. There was a hint of unmistakable sadness in Revenant's voice. Without another word, Revenant stepped off the platform and disappeared into the nothingness. Nick hoped that was the end of him but knew that was a lie. Revenant would beat them to the mana pool at this rate. Energy poured through him as he ran to the exit. He sprinted down the hallway until he bumped into something fluffy.

"Ow, what was that for?" Peanut asked before realizing what happened.

"Peanut?" Nick asked rubbing the back of his head. "What are you doing here?"

"I came from down that hallway," the dog said pointing down another stone hallway.

Nick nodded and helped the dog to his feet. "Did you have to go through a trial too?"

"It was called the 'Trial of Shapes," he said. "All I had to do was collect these different sized rocks and place them into their proper holes. It was surprisingly easy."

"Lucky you," Nick said silently. Out loud he asked, "Have you seen any of the others?"

"No, not since we were separated."

"I figured as much. Come one, this is the way to go," Nick pointed forward. "We need to keep moving. If you had to go through a trial as well, I think I know what 'DOCE' meant. There are twelve trials to overcome."

"That would mean the others would have to go through their own individual trials before reaching the end," Peanut said. "I hope they're doing okay."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Nick said trying to reassure Peanut as well as himself. He thought about telling Peanut about Revenant but decided against it. He would wait until everyone was together again.

They made their way down the hall until they reached a large steel door. It had an image of two figures on it. One that resembled a wolf and the other a dog. Nick reached out and grabbed the handle. "Subtle, isn't it?"

He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Come on you stupid thing," Nick said getting more and more annoyed.

"Let me help," Peanut said and gripped the lower part of the handle. They pulled together and the door opened with ease. "I think we have to get through this trial together."

"That seems to be the case," Nick said.

Together they walked into a small empty room except for a large metal chandelier lined with candles that hung from the ceiling. The door shut behind them with a loud clang. Once it did, Dain's image appeared in the center of the room. He smiled at the two of them and said, "Welcome to the "Trail of Brothers."

"What?" Nick and Peanut asked simultaneously.

"This is an easy trial depending on how well you two work together," Dain said. "Somewhere in this room is a secret panel but the only way to find it is by working as a team. Find it and press it to move on."

The image disappeared leaving Nick and Peanut alone. "Well, let's get looking," Nick said. He pointed to the left side of the room and said, "I'll take this side, and you take that one. If we split the work, then we should find it twice as fast."

"Are you sure that is what we are supposed to do?" Peanut asked clearly uncertain about the plan. "He said we have to work together."

"Once we find it then we can do whatever we have to do to get it to work," Nick said thickly. "It's most likely like the door, and we'll have to press it together. But first, we have to find it."

Nick wasn't sure if he trusted Peanut's intuition without his hat. After reading the comic, he knew that the Puzzle Master hat was no joke but without it could Peanut really help? He walked to the far wall and began feeling each brink for something that was not like the others. After a minute, he could feel Peanut staring at him. "What is it?" Nick asked without turning around.

"Do…do you not like me?" Peanut asked.

Nick twisted around. He raised his arm slightly and asked, "Why would you think that?"

"Well, it's just that since you've been in Babylon Gardens, you've barely spoken to me or the others that much. You always keep to yourself and even on the way here, you barely spoke to any of us. Even now, the way you're acting you seem like you rather be doing anything else than spending time with me."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "I have a lot going on. It has nothing to do with you or the others. I just don't want to spend any more time in this room than I have too." He glanced up at the chandler. "Judging from the way those candles are burning, I don't think we have forever to find the way out of her. If those lights go out, we are screwed."

"We have to do this together," Peanut said walking over to Nick. "Just like Todd and Geneva."

Nick's green eyes flickered with joy. "You read my book?"

Peanut nodded. "I loved your book. I was telling others about not long before you came. I was so happy you were here. I've been meaning to ask you to autograph it, but I never could find the right time. If there is anything, I can do to help you, all you have to do is ask. I'm not always the best listener, but I can try."

Nick turned away to try to hide his growing smile spreading across his face. "After we get through this, I'll sign your copy and even let you read the draft of the second book."

"Really?" Peanut asked, his tail wagging exciting behind him. It was so fast it was practically a blur.  
"We're a team. Not just in this trial but for the entire mission." Nick said. Peanut wrapped his arms around him, and Nick did the same.

A loud scraping sound came from above them. They glanced up to see one of the stones had slid out from the wall. It was high above their heads, too far for even Nick to reach. They both looked at each other and nodded like they were thinking the same thing. Nick knelt down and held his paws out. Peanut gripped Nick's shoulders and stepped up. Nick lifted Peanut so that it was eye level with the block. With one forceful shove, Peanut pushed the block back into place.

At the other end of the hall, a section of the stone wall disintegrated revealing a metal door precisely like the first. Peanut hopped down, and they moved towards the door. Like before they both gripped the door and pulled it open. As the door moved, Nick noticed something was slightly different about this door. The image of the wolf and dog were holding hands this time.

Lisa finally caught up to the others. They were all a little worse for wear but otherwise safe. The seven of them sat in a circle in a large room covered in images of the four stags. Pictures of the stags grazing among the branches of Yggdrasil surrounded them, but they were all too tired to take in the artwork.

"What happened to everyone?" Lisa asked.

Nick was the first one to respond, "Peanut and I were the first to get here. After we all got separated, I had to fight these two jaguars' things that wielded flaming swords of all things. Peanut here had to match shapes in holes." Peanut smiled at the others who were all giving him dirty looks. "After that, we literally ran into each other than completed a trial where we had to work together."

"Sabrina and I did something similar," Tarot said. "I had to complete a trial consisting of solving a complex puzzle."

Sabrina spoke next. "I had to run across a path of glowing blocks. If I stepped on a block that was not glowing it fell into a pit of lava. There was a lot of backtracking."

"Sounds like a Super Mario level," Peanut said.

"Whatever you would call it, I was not thrilled," Sabrina said shortly.

Tarot continued. "After that, we had to do a trial together where we had to stack blocks in a way to reach the exit as the floor slowly disappeared from under us by actually using pieces of the floor." She waved her arms in the air before falling backward on the floor. Peanut rushed over to her and comforted her.

"My trial was a monkey bar challenge," Grape told them. "Except the bars were slowly growing hotter as I moved. Thankfully I had my ninja powers." She gestured at her costume. "So, it was easy."

"I'm glad you had it easy," Max said.

"What, being the 'Warrior," didn't help you?" Grape asked giving Max a small playful shove.

"No," he said crossing his arms. "I was stuck in another one of those M C Escher trials."

"Wait. Wait. Wait," Lisa said holding up both hands. "That was real? It actually happened and wasn't a joke Rick made."

The pets all exchanged glances and nodded. Lisa threw her hands in the air and shook her head.

Grape went on. "We teamed up to solve a puzzle involving throwing flaming daggers at moving targets. Once again, thank you ninja powers."

"What about you, Lisa?" Nick asked turning to her. "What did you do?"

Lisa slumped back. "After we fell through the floor I fell into this underground lake. Dain appeared and told me that these crystals that were covering the wall were going to cook me alive if I couldn't escape. It took me a few tries, but I managed to get out. After that, I fell on this slide that sent me to another trial. It was called the "Trial of Luck." The way my luck has been going these last few months, I wasn't hoping for the best." She sat back up and crossed her legs. "I had to choose a bottle of liquid and hope that it didn't kill me or turn me into a mouse or something. I chose the middle one, and it was the correct choice. Only it knocked me out for about an hour which was why it took me so long to get here."

Lisa left out an essential detail from her story. When she got into the room, Revenant was already there. She was so shocked by his appearance that she was completely frozen. She couldn't even say anything to him. Instead, he was the one who talked, "The middle one is the right choice." Then he walked through the door and was gone. After that Dain appeared and explained the trial.

"I need to tell you guys something," Nick said. He was all business. Lisa had a feeling she knew what he was about to say. "I saw Revenant. He saved my life from one of the jaguars in the first trial. He's here and probably ahead of us. We need to hurry if we still hope to have a chance of stopping him."

Max was counting on his fingers when he said "That's eleven trials in all. If what you were saying earlier was right, then there should be one left."

Nick nodded. "Doce. Twelve. Twelve trials." He stood up and faced the hallway behind him. It was the only hall that was separate from the others. Lisa looked at it and noticed that each image of the stags was facing it. Their last trial was down there, and so was Revenant.

Together they hurried down the hallway. When they reached the end, there was a collective groan as they realized what was in front of them. Lisa knew what they were all thinking. Facing them were three different stone faces carved into the wall. Their large blank eyes were haunting to look at as well as the gaping mouths like they were ready to swallow all them whole. Her mind instantly flashed back to the comic, and the Knight and Knaves challenge Peanut solved. If this one was anything like that one, then they were in trouble since Peanut lost his hat.

Once again Dain appeared and smiled at them all. Lisa was growing sick of seeing that face. "Welcome to the final trial. The Trial of Truth. You all have done well to make it this far, but this is the most challenging trial of all. One of these paths will lead to the center of the temple while the others will only lead you to the outside. Whenever someone passes through an entryway, it will shut behind him so no backtracking. Now since there are seven of you, there are some options at your disposal. You could simply risk taking all three paths and ensure that at least one of you makes it to the treasure. Or you could risk it all together. Either way is fine."

"Unfortunately, that is not an option," Lisa said turning to Tarot and Sabrina. They needed Tarot to drain the mana. She did not know if Sabrina could do it alone and judging from the cat's expression there was a good chance that she didn't know how. That meant that they had to choose correctly and get Tarot to the mana pool.

Dain clapped his hooves together and spoke "Here is your riddle. I am fragile but strong. I am always with you but where do I belong? With one sound, I am broken. It only takes one word spoken."

With the last word, Dain vanished, but in his place, three flaming words appeared over the faces. Each was in Spanish. Everyone looked to Nick who was busy reading them.

"We might have a problem," he said. "The choices are 'Silence, Dreams, and Heart.'

"What's the problem then?" Max asked. "Even I know this one. The answer is silence."

Lisa repeated the choices in her head before realizing what Nick was referring to as the problem. She slapped her forehead with her palm. "They're all the correct answers." Pointing at the words, she went on "They all qualify as a correct response. How do we know which is the right one?"

The others recognized the situation they were in and shuffled around nervously. Lisa kicked out in frustration. Revenant could have already solved this and be in the next chamber, and they were busy standing there completely helpless.

"There has to be a solution," Tarot said rubbing her chin. "Maybe it has something to with the last eleven trials. Something they all had in common."

"The only thing they really had in common was fire," Nick pointed out. "I don't think that will help us here."

"Well, there has to be something to tell us the right choice," Sabrina said heatedly.

"Now would be a good time to have the Puzzle Master," Max muttered under his breath.

"I said I'm sorry about that," Peanut shouted.

"No, you didn't," Max said moving closer, so they were face to face. "If we fail this would be your fault."

"Guys, this is not the time to argue," Grape said pushing herself between them.

Max turned away in a huff and Peanut did the same. Grape stood there unsure of who to go to. She finally decided to go to Peanut's side. Lisa could see the hurt in Max's eyes as he watched her move.

Lisa's eyes widened as she realized what the answer was. Everything they had done did have a common factor. Rowan. Everything they did so far was because of him. She turned back to the faces and walked towards the third one. Lisa inhaled sharply as she stared at the face. It was similar to the frowning theater mask, the pain it was feeling was obvious.

Her mind wandered back to the previous July. Rowan was standing in front of her, pouring out his heart, telling her he loved her. One word. One sentence led them here. She broke something genuinely fragile. "I don't feel the same way." She broke his heart.

"Guys," Lisa called to them. They all turned to her. Without looking at them, she said, "This is the right path."

"How can you be sure?" Nick asked walking over to her.

She gazed into his eyes. "I know it is. This is the trial of truth. This is the truth."

Nick nodded. The others joined them and together entered the Path of Heart. As soon as the last one crossed the mouth closed behind them leaving them trapped in darkness. Without a word, they moved forward. Lisa knew this was the correct path but could not shake the fear that any second, they could be on a one-way trip outside. That didn't happen. Instead, they saw a light at the end of the tunnel, but it was not the light of the sun. They reached the end of the hall and found themselves in a large chamber filled with a massive inferno.

In the very center of the chamber was a pillar with the mana pool. Lisa didn't know what to expect but definitely expected it to look more impressive. It was the size of a kiddie pool someone would inflate on a hot summer day. She could feel the mana from where she stood. A few feet away was a long stone bridge that connected the pillar to where they were standing. To reach the mana, they would have to cross over the ring of fire that surrounded the pillar.

"Who going first," Sabrina asked.

"I'll go first," Lisa said trying to sound confident.

She took a step forward only to feel someone grab her arm.

"Not without me," Nick said. He let go of her and stepped beside her.

The bridge was barely wide enough for both of them, but Lisa didn't care. She was glad to have someone by her side. She didn't want to risk the pet's lives any more than they had already.

Nick turned to the others "We'll check for any traps or tricks then give you the okay to come on over."

Tarot and the rest nodded in agreement. Lisa started walking with Nick right behind her. It wasn't long before she was sweating through her uniform and Nick was panting behind her like a dog in the summer. The flames below them only seemed to grow hotter as they moved, but she knew it was only her imagination.

When they were halfway across the bridge, a chill ran up Lisa's spine. Something inside her grew cold, a dark place where she was scared to look because she knew what was kept there. Lisa lifted her face and saw him standing on a stone ring directly above the pets.

"That's far enough, don't you think," Revenant shouted. He jumped from his hiding place and as if just to show off, spun head over heels in the air before landing perfectly on the pillar with the mana pool.

Revenant's face had changed. It was darker, more intense than Lisa had ever seen. She barely got a good look at him during the Trial of Luck but seeing him now it now makes her want to cry. He looked nothing like Rowan.

Nick growled and bared his teeth as he moved between Lisa and Revenant. "Were you waiting up there the entire time just to do that?"

"Well," Revenant said. He placed his elbow in his palm while holding his other hand to his face. "Something like that."

He smiled at Lisa, but there was no warmth in it. Seeing it felt like something ran a rusty dagger through her heart. He shifted his gaze back to Nick and spread his arms wide. "It's like you said before. I'm the bad guy. It's time I start acting the part."

He fell backward with the same cruel smile plastered on his face. Lisa screamed and tried to rush forward, but it was too late. Revenant hit the mana pool and sank beneath the surface. The mana turned black like sludge. They all watched as the flames that filled the chamber turned a dark shade of purple. The pool exploded with cyclone of purple, black, and golden light that towered above them. Streaks of light shot from the vortex like arrows being launched from a bow. Ribbons of energy swirled around them. It would have been a wondrous sight if under any other circumstances.

Lisa could feel the power from the mana as it roared around them. It was a strange sensation like something deep within her blood and bones was being awakened. Something ancient and powerful but also wild. Nick grabbed her arm again and shouted something, but his voice was lost in the roaring. He pointed to the others who were waving from them to come back.

Before Lisa could move, something tugged at her. It was a slight sensation but still noticeable. She walked towards the mana, gently breaking Nick's hold on her. Beneath the sound of the roaring in her ears was something else. A small whisper that was distant but no less familiar. A voice was calling her name. She felt her heart being pulled towards something she couldn't see. It was the same feeling she had that told her where she could always find Kitsune waiting for her.

"Rowan," she whispered. Her eyes watered and she let the tears rolled down her cheeks without shame. "He's in there," she screamed as loudly as she could.

Nick must have heard her with his wolf hearing because he started making wild gestures at her. He was practically begging her to stop before she did something crazy. She couldn't stop. She turned away from him and sprinted to the mana.

Without a second thought, Lisa jumped into the abyss of mana and was gone.


	9. Chapter 9: Yin

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 9: Yin

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from Lisa**

**So many things have led me to this point. The point of no return. Call it love or desperation, but something propelled me to fling myself into a swirling vortex of black mana in a desperate attempt to rescue my best friend. How did we get here? When I look back, I often wonder what would have happened if Rowan and I never went to that convention or found the magic ring that transported us to a world that we once thought were fictional. I've made many mistakes over the last several months, and now it's my chance to fix them. I think my biggest mistake was not being honest with Rowan a long time ago or with myself. Maybe my biggest mistake was sacrificing myself to destroy Drasil which led Rowan to be corrupted by a dark power he was cursed with as a small child and the same curse that destroyed the mind of his younger brother. Or my biggest mistake could simply have been going to that convention last April. No matter what I've done, here we are in Peru of all places tracking down Revenant. Kitsune, the pets, and I have endured traps, solved riddles, and faced deadly challenges just to watch as Revenant obtains the third power pool. But I'm not giving up. I know my Rowan is still inside that monster somewhere and I will bring him home. **

Lisa looked up. She did not know what to expect she would find after throwing herself into the vortex of pure magic energy, but it certainly wasn't his. It was like she was in a black and white lava lamp. Bubbles of different shapes and sizes floated around her like wandering jellyfish. The ground, if you could call it that, was nothing but a black surface like obsidian. It had a strange sheen to it as the white bubbles floated around it.

"Hello," she called. Nothing but it was good to hear the sound of her own voice. The silence was suffocating her. Her heart beat faster as memories of being trapped in the white space threatened to break through the layers of walls she had built up over the last couple of months. She needed to find Rowan. That was the only thing that mattered. She felt him in the mana just a few seconds ago, but now there was nothing. Whatever connection she felt had been severed.

That apparently was not the only thing that had been severed. She examined her clothes only to find that they had returned to normal. The paper bag was still gone but so were her powers. Whatever rules this place had was different from both the temple and the real world.

"You've done it this time," a familiar voice spoke.

Lisa felt her heart skip a beat and turned around to see who spoke. "Kitsune, what are you doing here?" she asked then got a good look at his outfit. He was wearing a long black cloak with silver chains dangling down the front. She gave him a confused expression before pointing at the cloak. "Is that the Organization XIII cloak from Kingdom Hearts. Why are you wearing that?"

"I thought it seemed appropriate considering where we are?" he said calmly.

"Where exactly are we?" Lisa asked gesturing to the floating blobs of light. "This place is freaking me out."

"This is the World that Always Was."

"Wait, don't you mean the World that Never Was?"

Kitsune shook his head. "No, this is the world that always was. Specifically, the Edge of Oblivion."

_**The World That Always Was, The Edge of Oblivion**_

__Lisa placed her hand over her face and took a deep breath. "Sure, why not."

Kitsune smiled at her. "For the record, I'm not actually the Great Kitsune. He's still back in the real world. I am simply an astral projection created by your dormant magic power here to guide you through this realm as you search for Rowan."

"Okay, you're going to have to walk me through how that works," she said crossing her arms over her chest. By now she should have been used to crazy things happening to her, but even after surviving a temple that seemed to be designed by the writers of Saw, she was still unprepared for some things.

"I'm here to help you," Astral-Kitsune explained. "You still have powerful magic from when you ascended to divinity."

"Yeah, I remember that. Just last week, I created an alternate reality, and I'm still having nightmares about it."

"The magic inside you and the power of Dain's mana coupled with Rowan's magic has created this space. It's a bit complicated to understand, but you can save him from his prison if you can find him. That is why I'm here. Your subconscious created me and the power of this world brought me to life for the sole purpose of completing this task."

"You know what, I'm going just to accept everything that you are saying and let you do your thing. If you're really here to help me then I'm going to let you do it without question," Lisa told him. Her head was beginning to hurt trying to digest everything that was thrown at her. But one thing stood out. Rowan was there somewhere, and that was all that mattered.

"That's all I ask," Astral-Kitsune said.

Lisa turned away from him and held out her hands. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on sensing Rowan again. She lifted her arms and slowly moved them around like she was feeling for an invisible wall. Maybe her magic powers could help her beyond just making an imaginary version of her boyfriend.

"What are you doing?" Astral-Kitsune asked walking over to her. He bent down and examined her outstretched hands.

"I'm trying to use my power to create a beam of light or something that will take me to Rowan," she said. Feeling foolish she dropped her arms and stomped the ground in disgust. 'It's not working. I still don't know how to use these powers."

"That is why I'm here," Astral-Kitsune said and snapped his fingers.

The floor lit up like a fashion show walkway. Glowing yellow arrows appeared and pointed away from them. They moved in a straight line guiding them deeper into the darkness that surrounded the space they found themselves in.

"Subtle," Lisa said as she began walking down the trail of arrows. "This will take me to Rowan."

"Not quite," Astral-Kitsune said walking up beside her. His face said "sorry about this," but his tone said the opposite. "This is a bit more complicated than just walking down a dark road of nothingness."

"Of course, it is," Lisa mumbled under her breath.

"I can tell you that Rowan is being kept in the deepest darkest part of his heart. To reach that we first must go through his mind than his soul to reach the heart."

"This path will take us to his mind?"

"Bingo," Astral-Kitsune said.

Lisa sighed. "Fine, as long as we find him and get out."

"Getting out is the easy part." He placed his paw against his chest. "That is why I'm here. I can help you get out, but beyond that, I'm mainly here to explain things to you."

"Well, that just means you are as helpful as the real Kitsune is," Lisa said.

"Shame on you. You shouldn't say such things about your boyfriend."

"I'm joking. Sort of. I mean I'm right aren't I." She waited for a response, but Astral-Kitsune pretended not here her.

They kept walking in silence. Once again, the sensation of being back in the white space crept over her, but Lisa pressed it down. At least this time she wasn't alone even if this projection of Kitsune was just herself. It was better than nothing, Lisa kept telling herself. As they moved, Lisa kept trying to feel for Rowan's presence or sense that he was there. No matter what she did, there was nothing.

Lisa was so lost in thought she didn't notice when Astral-Kitsune stopped suddenly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back next to him.

"We're here," he said. Lisa was grateful for that. She had no idea how long they had been walking. The path seemed almost endless.

There was a moment of silence as Lisa looked at what "here" was. All around them were floating pieces of what appeared to be glass. Each one was jagged and different colors like someone broke a large stained-glass window and hung the pieces on a string to showcase their handy work. As Lisa looked closer, she noticed that it wasn't that they were actually full images.

"The Hall of Shattered Memories," Astral-Kitsune said sadly. Lisa was taken aback by his voice. The name alone was bad enough but the way he said it was like telling someone their pet had died.

_**The World That Always Was, Hall of Shattered Memories**_

"That is an odd name," Lisa said walking over to the nearest of the glass pieces.

"Each one of these is one of Rowan's memories. We're currently in his mind. These are all that's left of his memories after months of Revenant's control."

"What!?" Lisa shouted. Her voice echoed around the hall bouncing off each of the memories, causing them to shudder and vibrate.

She turned her attention back to the memory fragment in front of her. There was a long-jagged crack down the center of it.

"Why is it cracked like that?" she asked.

"These are Rowan's strongest memories, so they have lasted the longest. But that isn't such a good thing. The cracks represent a time in Rowan's life where something inside him broke. A painful event that left him a little more vulnerable and hurt. Be careful with them they are extremely fragile."

_"I love you, Lisa!"_

Lisa turned around. She knew that voice. It was Rowan's. It was coming from a large memory across from her. Slowly she moved towards it not knowing what to expect. Kitsune's warning stayed with her as she stepped in front of the memory. Her eyes widened at the sight of it. This memory had a spiderweb of cracks in it so that the images playing in it were barely visible.

"_I have always loved you since the day we met. I waited for years to ask you out, but I never could. But I stayed by your side even after you paraded your boyfriends around. I stood by you after each break-up with a box of chocolate and tissues. I waited for you to realize how I felt but…you never did."_

"Oh, god," Lisa whispered before placing her hand over her mouth. She recognized the scene before her. It was that past July, the day that Rowan confessed that he loved her. It was the day that she broke his heart.

She knew she should look away, but her body was frozen to the spot. She could see Rowan's face staring back at her through the glass, his eyes full of desperation and longing.

"_What you feel for Kitsune is not real. But I'm real. My love is real."_

"No, don't say it," Lisa whispered at the scene changed to her past self.

"_I don't feel the same way."_

Rowan's face appeared again, and just like that day, Lisa could see something in his eyes, a bright light, fade away. The image froze there, forever capturing the moment Rowan's and Lisa's relationship was changed. The point of no return.

Lisa reached out and placed her fingers on the glass. As soon as she touched it, she felt something slice across her skin. Yelping in pain, she pulled back and examined her hands. There was no mark or cut, but the pain still lingered.

"What was that?" Lisa said clutching her hand.

"Each crack is raw emotion," Astral-Kitsune said as he walked up beside her. "You feel what he felt in a certain way."

"That's incredibly stupid and ridiculous," Lisa said backing away from memory. She clutched her hand, waiting as the pain slowly faded.

"What did you expect from a world created by magic energy that utilizes imagination?"

"Good point," Lisa said.

""_Dakota, it's me. Lisa."_

"Did you hear that?" Lisa asked. She recognized her voice. She scanned the fragments for the source. Her eyes fell on an especially broken piece of glass with one crack running straight down. She moved closer, almost afraid of what she'd see.

The closer she got the fragment the clearer the image became. Her own image appeared, obscured in the moonlight of the events taking place. Even still, she could see her past self's panic expression mixed with worry. The scene changed to an image of Dakota. His face was sharp like the scythe he had in his hands. This was one of the worse nights in Lisa's life, one she had tried desperately to forget.

Lisa's past self spoke again, pleading with the boy. _"Dakota, listen to me. You are not in any danger. Let them go. I can take you home. I can take you to Rowan. He's looking for you too." _

_Dakota lowered the scythe. Tears welled up in his eyes. Shaking his head, "I want to go home."_

"I don't understand what this is," Lisa said unable to look away. "Rowan wasn't here for this part."

Astral-Kitsune walked over to her and leaned towards the fragment. "If I had to guess this must be a memory formed by both of your collective experiences. If that is the case, then we must hurry. Your memories are beginning to bleed into his. That could create disruptions that will only make it harder to find him."

Lisa turned her back to the fragment just she heard _"Dakota! Stop!"_ Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of Rowan's taser strike Dakota followed by the sound of Rowan breaking down in her arms.

"It will only get harder the farther we go, you realize, that right?" Astral-Kitsune asked.

"Let's keep moving," she said bluntly.

The shadows around the hall seemed to creep closer to them as they moved. The fragments became fewer and farther between. It was growing more difficult to ignore them.

"_Where's Dakota?" Rowan said. "You said you were going to pick him up so he could be here."_

Lisa stood motionless. Almost automatically her head turned to a fragment floating next to her. She instantly recognized when this was. It was their graduation day. It was only a few months ago, but she almost didn't recognize Rowan in the memory. He wore his cap and gown as he glared at his parents.  
_Rowan's mother spoke calmly._ _"Your brother had some issues. The doctors said he had a bad episode and they were keeping him under surveillance for forty-eight hours. It's the procedure."_

_"I understand," Rowan whispered._

_His mother opened her mouth, then closed it again. There was nothing that could be said._

"_Where's Lisa?" his father asked looking around playfully. "We wanted to congratulate her too. We just saw her mother. She said that she had not seen Lisa yet either."_

"_I'll go find her." He shoved his diploma in his father's hand and left._

The scene changed showing Rowan wondering around the campus parking lot until he stopped. Lisa's heart beat faster as she appeared in the memory. Her and Kitsune were talking to one another just like she remembered. Only this was from Rowan's perspective.

"How long had he been standing there?" Lisa asked out loud knowing she was about to find out.

"_What do you mean limited? How so?"_

_"I can't go into my full power here," Kitsune explained. "My vision is limited too. This world is something. Speaking of which, have you decided about Keene's offer?"_

_"I haven't yet. I want to, but at the same time, I'm still not comfortable being there. When I first got there that day, it was so surreal. It felt like nothing mattered because it was not real. Then after everything that happened afterward taught me that it was real. Too real."_

_"I don't know what to say," he told her. "It's your decision. I can't interfere in the fates of mortals, and I definitely can't interfere with yours._

_ "Mine. What's special about mine?"_

_ "It's like this world. You exist in a different set of rules from say the pets back home. Your destiny is more complex and volatile so to say." Kitsune leaned closer to her. "Think of it this way. It's like comparing a board game with a video game. Same but completely different at the same time with different rules and play styles. You can play one like you the other."_

_ "I guess that makes sense," Lisa said. "Let me ask you this. If you had the choice to stay or go, what would you do?" _

_ "Go," he said without hesitation._

_ "That's it. Just go without a second thought."_

_He nodded. "I like the mortals over there, and I know you do too. That is why you are struggling so much. You still feel guilty about what happened. Your scared that you don't belong there." _

_ "How do I stop feeling like that?" she asked looking down at her feet._

_ "That I cannot tell you because I have never felt that way. I always belong everywhere I go. I'm just lovable that way."_

_ Lisa chuckled. "You sure are."_

_Kitsune coked his head to the side. "Hm. Look, I can't tell you things will be easy or go smoothly if you choose to go there. I can't see your fate. That is one of the drawbacks of you belonging to this world. But I can tell you that if you don't go, then you will regret not taking this chance."_

"He was there for that long," Lisa said feeling hot and embarrassed. The fragment was not cracked, but Lisa could feel an intense heat coming from it. Rowan's anger, she assumed.

"Lisa," Astral-Kitsune grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away from the fragment. His red eyes were fierce. "You are getting distracted. We don't have time for this."

"I know that but…" she tried to say.

"No, there are no "buts" only "go," he said more firmly.

"Right. I know that." Lisa's jaw tightened. Was this Revenant's doing? Was he purposing showing her memories that would make her the most upset?

Lisa felt colder as she started walking again, this time letting Astral-Kitsune hold her hand and pull her along. She kept staring at the dark floor, focusing as hard as she could to block out the sounds of the fragments which only seemed to grow louder.

"_Rowan, you promised!" _Lisa heard Dakota scream._ "You promised!" _

Lisa didn't have to see the fragment to know what it was. That didn't stop her from glancing up as they walked by. It was a smaller fragment compared to the others, but the image was barely visible underneath the sheer number of cracks that spread through it. Her eyes hurt just by looking at it.

"Is that?" Lisa asked.

Without looking or stopping Astral-Kitsune said, "Yes, it is."

Lisa opened her mouth again but closed it, swallowing what she was about to say. Rowan told her about that day. In response, she slapped him in a fit of rage. She was more concerned about what Dakota was capable of doing while he was on the loose then how Rowan was feeling about reliving that memory.

"There it is," Astral-Kitsune said as he came to a sudden stop. He let go of Lisa's hand as they both gazed at what stood before them.

It was like an antique mirror with a disturbing sculpture of an angel with his arms spread out sitting atop the black glass. Around the edge were other carvings of animals each in poses that expressed sadness or distress. Lisa recognized them as the pets. They were all looked like they were trying to escape something. At the bottom, two large hands served as the base giving it the image that it was holding the mirror in place.

"That's Rowan," Lisa shouted as focused on the angel at the top of the mirror. His head was tilted to the side, and his eyes were closed, but it was clearing Rowan.

"Lisa, please be careful," Astral-Kitsune said. "This is a black mirror. Mirrors serve as windows to the soul. This must be the doorway to Rowan's soul."

"This place doesn't let up on the metaphors does it?" Lisa said dryly.

She stood before the glass. She could barely see her outline in the darkness. As she stared at it, her image blurred until it changed completely. It showed a dark room like a cell. Sitting in the corner was a small boy. He looked up at some unseen figure and spoke. _"I won't let you take him. Can't you see he's hurt? Whatever you did to him, it hurt him. He can't go through that again."_

"Rowan." Lisa had only seen pictures of Rowan as a kid. Her stomach felt sick as she moved closer to the mirror to get a better look. Rowan was not just younger but thin and dirty. The story Rowan's parents told her came rushing back to her, and she knew what she was looking at.

_"I don't think you have much to say about that kid," a man said. _Lisa's heart raced faster._ "Now you either can let him go, or we can force you too. It's your choice. Honestly, I'm hoping you fight. I do enjoy hearing the sound of bones break in little boy's arms."_

"Oh, god," Lisa whispered. "How could they do this?"

_ The man continued, "What will it be?" _

_Rowan looked at his brother before laying Dakota down on the hard floor. He stood up and faced the men. He looked at the big one directly in the eye and said, "Take me instead."_

"No, Rowan, don't do it!" Lisa screamed. She pressed herself against the glass and passed right through it like it was made of water. Ripples spread through the surface washing away the memory. She backed up in surprise by what just happened. Without wasting another second, she charged towards the mirror and passed through the surface.

_**The World That Always Was, Chamber of Corrupted Sight**_

__Lisa found herself in a large room filled with rows of seats, like church pews. Flickering candles hung against the walls casting the only light in the windowless space. There was one large steel chandelier hanging from the ceiling, lined with haft melted candles. The floor was bare and dirty like no one had swept it ever.

"What is this place?" Lisa asked as Astral-Kitsune appeared through the mirror hanging on the wall behind them.

"Chamber of Corrupted Sight," he said. "More specifically, Rowan's soul. Or at least an embodiment of it.

Lisa walked forward, running her fingers over the wooden pews. It was like being in a horror movie. She expected a monster to appear behind her at any moment. She eyes fell on the front of the room. Three figures in black robes stood in front of a long stone table. It was hard to see in the candlelight, but Lisa could see red marks covering the edges as well as metal shackles attached to the stone. More candles surrounded the table, each burning brighter than the others along the walls. Painted on the wall behind the table was a crudely drawn symbol. Lisa half expected it to be a pentagram or something one would see in "The Exorcist." Instead, it was something else entirely. It looked like an upside-down V with curved edges that resembled horns. In the center was a single dot. Despite not knowing what it was, Lisa could not help but feel a sense of dread spreading through her body as she stared at it.

Behind her, two large doors opened. The three figures turned around and for a second Lisa thought they were in trouble. Astral-Kitsune leaned in and whispered, "They can see us. This is like the memories from before. We aren't' really here."

Lisa tried to relax but found it to be impossible. She turned around and watched as more figures in black cloaks walked into the room. They all had their hoods up, but she could see that they were all men in their late twenties or early thirties. None of them looked particularly healthy, Lisa thought. They were like the walking dead, with pale skin and their bones clearly visible under their skin.

They walked by Lisa and Astral-Kitsune without a word. She fought the urge to reach out and touch one of them. Slowly they filled the first few pews. When they were done, two more figures appeared only they were not alone.

"Rowan!" Lisa screamed.

The two figures walked forward with their hands tightly gripped around a young Rowan's arms. He did not try to resist or fight back against them. He looked defeated. They walked past her and stepped up to the stone table.

Rowan made no effort to move on his own, so the cloaked figures picked him up and roughly placed him flat on the table. There they shackled him and stepped back to admire their handy work.

"Is this going to work?" one of the figures asked. "He's older than the rest. The ritual calls for a young child."

"If he dies then so be it," another said. Lisa recognized the voice as the man who threatened Rowan in the memory from before. Her chest burned with anger and the desire to tackle the men to the ground.

"We should not waste more time," another figure said. This one was clearly in charge. His robe was different, more extravagant than the others. It was covered in red stripes and had a long scarf draped over his shoulders and down his front. The scarf had the same symbol as on the wall sowed into it.

The leader held his arms over Rowan and began chanting. Soon the others were joining in. Lisa could not understand what they were saying, but she knew it was evil. Every instinct in her body told her to run away, but instead, she took a timid step forward. Astral-Kitsune made no attempt to stop her this time.

As the chanting continued, the cult members voices changed becoming more animalistic until they stopped speaking words and instead sounded like the growling of a monstrous beast. The temperature in the room dropped, and the candles dimmed.

Rowan was entirely still during all of this. He stared blankly at the ceiling like he had excepted his fate.

The chanting grew louder, and the room began shaking. Behind Lisa, the mirror to the previous room broke apart raining glass on the floor. At that moment, a black vortex opened above where Rowan was laying. No one stopped what they were doing. It was like they were all in a trance. The vortex grew larger like an eye opening above him, and Rowan could no longer stay calm. He screamed and struggled against the chains keeping him bound to the table.

"Oh my god! Rowan!" Lisa screamed and ran to where he was. Before she could get close to him, the cult members stood up and faced her. Suddenly it seemed like they could see her. They formed a wall between her and Rowan but never stopped chanting. Their eyes glowed purple as they stared at her.

"Get out of my way," Lisa shouted and tried to break through them. They didn't attack her but didn't move out of the way no matter how many times she pushed against them.

Rowan's screaming grew louder. Each of the flames around the room changed from orange to purple. A cloud of black and purple smoke poured down from the vortex slamming directly into Rowan's body. He screamed like he was dying, and Lisa joined him. She pushed harder but nothing she did work.

Helplessly she watched as the smoke pierced through Rowan's body. He was lifted up off the table and hovered in the air before falling back down again. This continued over and over as the smoke relentlessly stuck him.

"Stop it!" Lisa screamed. She reached out towards Rowan, but he was too far. "Rowan. Stop it. You're killing him!"

Rowan's eyes glowed purple as he continued to scream. Cracks appeared in his skin like an infection spreading through his body. Purple lines spread through his face cutting off his voice. He screamed silently as the last of the smoke entered his body.

For a moment nothing happened, then Rowan erupted in an ear-splitting howl that was no longer human. He turned his head toward her and Lisa could see tears streaming from his glowing eyes. He was begging her to make it stop. The cult members pushed her farther from him like a moving wall.

"Stop it!" Lisa shouted again. Her body burned with rage and fear. She struggled more desperately against the force of the cult members. "Stop it! I said stop!"

A surge of energy erupted inside her igniting every part of her body like she was being filled with lightning. Golden light sparked off her fingers, filling the room with illimitation and warmth. The cult member back away but it was too late. Lisa's eyes glowed with a bright yellow light before throwing her arms towards the floor. A wave of energy discharged from her evaporating each of the cult members, turning them into dust and shadows.

With a cry of anguish, Lisa held out her hands towards the members left on the stage and sent another surge of energy towards them. The room was filled with light, and there was no one left but her, Astral-Kitsune, and Rowan still laying on the table.

As the light surrounding Lisa's body faded, she felt instantly exhausted, but she didn't let that stop her from rushing over to Rowan. She tried to open the shackles, but they would not budge. Tears poured from her face as she stood there struggling in vain.

"I didn't know," she whispered. She knew deep down that everything she witnessed was another memory. This was the ritual they performed to give Rowan his demonic powers. They almost killed him and, in a way, took a part of him that nothing could ever be returned. "I didn't know what they did to you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Rowan's eyes opened slightly. They were dark and cold, but Lisa could still see a bit of the Rowan she knew inside. He opened his mouth, but no words came. Instead, he mouthed the word, "Lisa."

She watched as Rowan faded away leaving nothing but empty shackles clanging against the table. Lisa stood there frozen unsure of what happened.

"Where is he," she asked turning to Astral-Kitsune who was moving towards her. His arms were behind his back, and he carried a calm expression on his face. "Where is he?!" Lisa screamed at the fox.

"That wasn't the real Rowan," Kitsune said. "That was only part of his soul."

"I don't understand," she said.

The room around creaked and cracked, but Lisa ignored it. She kept her eyes on Astral-Kitsune.

"You were able to free the part of him that had been imprisoned by what these men did to him all those years ago. That was the first step to finding him. Now we can find the real Rowan and rescue him from this forsaken place.

"Where is the real Rowan?" Lisa asked. The creaking grew louder. "No more riddles or metaphors. I want to know where he is."

Astral-Kitsune pointed toward the door where the cult members dragged Rowan out of. "He's there. Know that I can't join you there. His heart is a sacred place that only a few can enter. Menagerie's Passage."

"That's fine," Lisa said and brushed by him. "I can do this myself."

Behind her, the table broke apart as the shaking grew worse. The walls broke apart revealing the black nether from the outside. Each of the candles blew out leaving Lisa in almost complete darkness as she walked through the door.

_**The World That Always Was, Menagerie's Passage **_

__Lisa did not know what to expect Rowan's heart to look like. What she saw when she crossed the threshold was like something out of "Inside Out." There was one path lined with the oddest collection of junk Lisa had ever seen. Toys, games, characters from different shows and comics. The air was clean but smelled like the ocean. Lisa vaguely remembered Rowan once telling her that he loved the scent of the water.

"So, this is everything Rowan's loves," Lisa said looking behind her. There was nothing there. The door she entered was gone and in its place was nothing but an empty blue sky. Rowan's favorite color.

Something pulled at her heart. It was faint by clearly noticeable. Lisa wasted no time before breaking into a run down the trail. Her world seemed to fade away as she ran. Images of different things Rowan's loved flew past in her a messy blur. The farther she ran, the stronger the pull on her heart was. Rowan was calling her.

She slowed to a stop once she passed a pyramid made of french fries. Before her was a giant mountain. Unlike everything else there, this was an actual mountain that towered farther than she could even see. At the base of the mountain was a large opening to a dark tunnel. Carved around the tunnel was the image of Rowan's parents embracing each other with one arm and with the other surrounding the opening like they were beckoning Lisa to enter. "This is where you need to go," they seemed to say.

Lisa wasted no time hurrying into the cave. She expected an ordinary dark cavern but instead was greeted with a hallway like something out of a fancy hotel. Glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the floor was lined with silky velvet. The walls were covered in red wallpaper with images of hearts from floor to ceiling. It was a little much for Lisa's taste but a welcome relief from the horror show she had been through up to this point.

She began walking pass different portraits hung on the wall when she stopped to look at them. Each one was of one of the pets. Peanut, Grape, King, Fox, Sabrina, and Tarot. There was even one of Kitsune. Seeing his smile made Lisa feel guilty. He told her that he loved her and she was literally in someone else's heart. She kept walking toward the end of the hall. She didn't know what to expect as she neared the end, but she had a good idea.

She was correct. At the end of the hallway, were two large portraits. On the left was an image of Dakota. He looked healthy and happy smiling at her with the image of a warm forest behind him.

On the other side was her portrait. Lisa stood in front of it, stricken by its sheer beauty. It was different from Dakota's. Instead of facing outward, she was turned to the side. Her long hair flowed behind her as if being blown some unseen breeze. Her face was graced with a small smile like she was truly at peace. Lisa wanted to know what she was looking at to appear so natural. In the painting's hand, was a sprig of white heather.

Between the two portraits was a small white column with a small framed picture. Curiosity overcame her as to why something like that was sitting there. She picked it and recognized it instantly as the picture she and Rowan took their freshman year with Jackson and Ashley. But the image was different. Instead of looking at the camera, Rowan was clearly looking at her. The way he smiled at her was the same way her portrait was smiling.

"Oh, Rowan," Lisa said.

Behind her there was searing, cracking noise. The wall behind her broke apart revealing a long dark tunnel. Unlike the hallway she just came down, this one looked like it was cobbled together using scrap and building materials from a home improvement store. The corridor shook and rattled. Several portraits fell off the wall and clattered on the floor.

Lisa was running out of time. Putting the frame back where she found it, she stepped into the newly revealed hallway. The atmosphere changed immediately from warm and inviting to cold and unforgiving. Another tug on her heart told Lisa that this was the way to go.

Dark purple light exploded from farther down the hall causing Lisa to sprint towards it. She ran past several rooms that resembled the one she saw in the memory fragment. She could almost imagine screaming children being locked away unsure if they were ever going to see their homes or families again. Her stomach churned with hatred and disgust.

The purple light faded as she neared one of the cells. It had a metal door like the rest with a large padlock hanging on the front. She peered through the small opening and saw him. Rowan was chained to the wall, but it was him. He was wearing the same outfit as he wore when he came to her in her dream.

"Rowan!" Lisa screamed and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "I'm here. I'm here to get you."

She banged her fist on the door in frustration. She looked back at him hoping for some sign that he could hear her, but there was no change. His eyes were closed as he slumped against the back of the cell.

The hallway shook and roared again. Lisa looked back the way she came and saw that the corridor was breaking away piece by piece like it was being devoured by a giant beast. She gripped the handle again and pulled but still no change.

"I'm here. Rowan, I'm here." Lisa cried and felt another snap of electricity spread through her body. Her emotions were running high as was her desperation. She stepped back from the door and held up her glowing hands. Focusing her anger, hurt, and devotion she let loose a massive blast of energy at the door.

The cell door was blown off its hinges and fell on the floor of the cell. Before the light around her hands faded, she ran to Rowan's side. Kneeling down, she undid his shackles with more smaller blasts of power. Rowan slumped to the side, but she caught him before he could hit the floor. Wrapping her arms around his body, she pulled him towards her as tightly as she could

"Rowan, I'm here," Lisa said. Tears ran down her face again. "Please say something."

She could hear his breathing, but it was faint and slow. She went on, "I'm sorry, Rowan. I really am. I wasn't there for you, but I'm here now."

Above their heads, the ceiling was torn away revealing the swirling ether. Purple and black light danced around one another in a massive whirlwind. More of the cell broke apart into dust and was carried away as they sat there.

"Rowan, I was wrong. I was wrong to tell you I didn't feel the same way when you told me you loved me." She paused and looked down at Rowan's limp body. "I do love you."

Rowan's eyes opened slightly feeling Lisa with a welcome sense of relief. The wind picked up even more threatening to carry them away into the vortex above them.

Lisa spoke again, but her voice was barely a whisper. "Let's go home, Rowan. We don't belong here anymore."

"Lisa!" someone shouted.

She looked up to see a hole in the either. A long arm covered in blonde fur reached for her. "Lisa, take my hand!" the voice shouted again.

Slowly, Lisa reached up and wrapped her fingers around Kitsune's paw. She closed her eyes and let everything fade away from her except for Rowan's and Kitsune's touch.

_**Valley of the River, Temple of Flame**_

"Lisa. Lisa, can you hear me?"

"Is she breathing? Maybe you should try using some magic to heal her."

Lisa felt like the entire world was spinning under her. She opened her eyes to the blurry outline of Kitsune and Nick standing over her.

"You're alright," Kitsune said and wrapped his arms around her. She returned the hug, relieved to feel his familiar fur beneath her fingers. "I'm so glad your back. I was so scared that I lost you."

"I'm here," she said, but her voice was hoarse.

They separated, and Lisa remembered everything that just happened. "Rowan, where is he?"

"He's over here," Nick said. He knelt down over Rowan's unconscious body. He was wearing the same outfit as before. The black mark over his eye was gone, but he looked weak.

"Rowan, can you hear me?" Lisa asked trying to move towards him, but Kitsune wouldn't let her go.

"Well, that worked out better than I could have hoped," said a chilling voice behind them.

They turned toward the mana pool which was still filled with black liquid. Ripples appeared on the surface, and slowly something rose to the surface.

"No, that's not possible," Lisa said staring in disbelief.

Revenant smiled at her. He looked the same as before but different at the same time. The black scar had spread over both eyes forming the appearance of a mask. Both eyes now were glowing with a swirling pale golden light. He wore the same cloak as before which Lisa recognized as the same ones the cultists were wearing. He stood on the surface on the pool, and like a sponge, the black sludge was sucked into his cloak until there was not a single drop left.

Kitsune snarled at him which was something she had only seen him to Drasil. She had never seen him so angry or afraid.

"How are you here?" Kitsune demanded.

"The Great Kitsune without all the answers," Revenant said slowly, letting each word hang in the air. "Hard not knowing what is going on. Your omnipotence is your greatest strength, but you rely on it too much."

He stepped out of the empty pool and strolled past them all without a second glance. On the other side of the bridge, the pets looked nervous like they didn't know how to react to what was happening. Revenant stood on the middle of the bridge, and spoke again, "Think about it for a second. Why do you think I allowed you to make it to the mana pool before me?"

Lisa had thought it was strange that they were able to beat him despite the significant advantage he had over them. Suddenly it dawned on her, and she looked at Rowan still laying on the floor beside them. "You needed us."

"That's right. Give the girl a prize." He turned his head all the way around, so he was facing them with a horrific grin on his face. His face was illuminated by the flames which had returned to their red and orange color. "I needed you to separate us. The Yin from the Yang. You should appreciate that Kitsune. I couldn't ascend to divinity as long as the demonic powers still lingered inside me. Now I have the power of three of the four stags. True divine power. Once I get the last one, I will take my place as a true god."

A golden fire erupted around him, and when it faded away, Revenant was gone.


	10. Chapter 10: Yang

Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 10: Yang

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

**A Message from Rowan**

**I'm back. So much has happened since the battle with Drasil that I'm still finding it difficult to process it all. Lisa was trapped in the white space for two months, and while everyone tried to move on, Kitsune never gave up on finding her. Meanwhile, this wolf named Nick Powell started having dreams of Lisa among other things. Turns out that he was once human who was turned into a wolf after drinking from a cursed spring or something. Anyway, he was living in a cabin with a cougar named Cody (still not sure about how that worked) while working on his second novel for the Milton Books, the Milton's own publishing house. He was engaged to his agent before he was changed and they may have broken up, I don't know why Lisa needed to go into so much detail about that part. He shows up in Babylon Gardens and together with Kitsune, and a few of the pets get Lisa out of the white space. Nick decides to stay and help them find me. While this is happening, I'm slowly being corrupted by dark magic which, to be honest, is like a blur now and calling myself Revenant. To stop me or Revenant or whatever, Lisa and Kitsune go to heaven to talk to Henry Milton for answers about the four stags and their temples. They even went to see my parents and found out about mine and Dakota's kidnapping when we were kids. They managed to come up with a plan that involved traveling to Peru to find Dain's temple before Revenant. After a lot of riddles and traps, they reached the mana pool, but I/Revenant got there first. Touching the mana opened a gateway into my being which Lisa jumped into in a reckless attempt to find me. After exploring the inner reaches of my mind, soul, and heart, she managed to save me from my existential prison. Unfortunately, that was what Revenant wanted all along. As long as my demonic power was still inside him, he couldn't ascend to divinity, but now that we are separated from one another, he can find Durathror's temple and get the final mana and destroy the world. **

_**Aug 21, 2014  
Alexander University**_

_"Yeah, mom. Everything is going great. I love being here," Rowan muttered into the mic of his cell phone. His eyes were red and inching from the crying he had just been doing before his mother called, but he managed to pull himself together so she wouldn't find out. "Everyone is so nice," Rowan lied._

_He rubbed his eyes again and leaned back against the wall of the building he was hiding beside. The shadow made the perfect cover so no one would see what he was doing. _

_"Yeah, I'll remember that," Rowan said. "How is Dakota doing?" He waited for his mother to reply and frowned at what he heard. "Okay, then," he said bitterly. With his free hand, he began rubbing his arm feeling the fresh marks on his skin. "Tell him, I said hello." _

_He waited again letting his mother talk and give the usual speech about how he needed to take care of himself and be careful. "I know all that mom. I'll be fine." Even as he said it, he was sure his mother could tell he was lying. He did not sound very convincing._

_His mother hung up on the other end, and he did the same. After putting the phone back in his pocket, he reached to the piles of papers beside him. The images and words on them only seemed to be mocking him. He crumbled them in his hands, feeling the burning anger coursing through his veins._

"_Hey there. I was looking for you," someone said. _

_Rowan was so startled all the pages slipped from his fingers and spread out on the ground. He turned to see a girl standing over him. She had short blond hair and sparkling hazel eyes. Seeing her there made Rowan's heart skip a beat, and it was like there was a tight iron grip on his lungs preventing him from speaking or even breathing._

_The girl bent down and gathered a few of the papers before handing them back to Rowan. She sat down next to him and pulled her knees up to her chest. She cocked her head to the side and smiled at him. _

"_Are you there?" she said waving a hand in front of his face._

"_Oh, yeah. I just wasn't sure. I mean I thought no one could find me here," he said._

"_Well, it wasn't easy. I just thought about where someone who wanted to be alone and unseen would disappear too. After searching a few other spots, I was wandering around her when I heard you talking to someone."_

_Rowans' cheeks burned with embarrassment. How much did she overhear, he wondered?_

_The girl went on, "I'm sorry about what those guys were saying about your story." There was pity in her voice which generally would make Rowan angry but coming from her, he felt a sense of gratitude.  
"I mean, we are in college, but I guess that doesn't mean much to people like them. They're not going to last past freshman year if they act like that."_

"_It's alright," Rowan said tightening his grip on his papers.  
"I mean I realize that the story is not original or anything but that doesn't mean you have to be a total jerk about it. Am I right?" she asked._

_Rowan was not sure how he felt about how she was talking about his story but nodded anyway. _

_She smiled at him, and for a brief moment, she was all Rowan could see. Everything else faded away until it was just the two of them. She spoke again, "You just have to keep working on it and keep learning. I mean you like comics, don't you?"_

"_Um, yeah. I do. I read them all the time."_

"_I like comics a little," she said leaning back against the wall. She wrapped her arms around her knees. A breeze blew by and carried her scent into Rowan's nose. He breathed heavily so to take all of it in._

"_What kind of comics do you like," she asked looking at him. _

_"All kinds but there is this one I really like. It's kind of weird but funny at the same time," Rowan said. He considered if he should continue talking or not. He did not want to scare her away with his weird interests. There was a spark of curiosity on her face that told him that he could open up to her. "Do you like animals? Like talking animals?"_

_ "Sure," she said. _

_"There is this one comic you might like," Rowan said trying to keep his voice steady. "If you want, I can show it to you."_

_ "I would like that," she said and stood up. Rowan followed suit. As they walked towards the dorm building, she turned to him and said, "My name is Lisa Smith by the way."_

_ "I'm Rowan. Rowan Gains." _

_ "It's good to meet you, Rowan," she said looking across the campus she went on. "I have this feeling like this is the start of something truly amazing."_

_ "Yeah, I think it is," Rowan said unable to take his eyes off her._

_**Nov 17, 2018**_

_**Milton Manor, Infirmary **_

Lisa sat by Rowan's bed just as she had been doing for the last 24 hours.

Rowan was still sleeping peacefully among the rhythmic sounds of beeps coming from the monitors and screens that displayed his heart rate, blood pressure, and other technical things that Lisa didn't understand but nodded along anyway. He was looking a lot better, she thought. Some of the color had returned to his cheeks and breathing was steady. He still hadn't woken up though which scared her. Part of her wanted Kitsune by her side, but he was busy talking with Keene and Lana about what their next step would be. There was one temple left, and they had to find it before Revenant did. Deep down there was another part of her that was glad Kitsune was busy. She felt guilty every time she was around him. Back in the World that Always Was, she told Rowan that she loved him. That was only hours after Kitsune told her that he loved her. Lisa hated being caught between the two of them. It was not her style to be in a love triangle like some sappy romance novel and yet she was. Torn between two boys even if one of those boys was a nine-tailed fox demigod.

Rowan's sudden gasping snapped Lisa out of her trance. He sounded like he was choking for a second then relaxed. Lisa stared at him, her eyes wide and startled but relaxed. Rowan slowly opened his eyes and winced in the mid-afternoon light streaming from the window.

Lisa," he said. His voice was weak and raspy.

"I'm here," she said trying to remain calm. She didn't know what to do. No one told her to alert them if he woke up.

"Water," he whispered.

Lisa stood up and rushed to the bottle of water. Nick had brought her the last time he came to check up on her. She hadn't opened it yet. She undid the cap and held it to Rowan's lips. Slowly, he lapped up water before taking it from her and pouring the entire contents down his throat. When he was done, Lisa took the empty bottle from his hands and placed it on the table beside the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Lisa asked. She wanted to ask him a million other questions, but that one felt more appropriate for the moment.

"I don't know how to describe it," Rowan said closing his eyes again. "It feels like I've been crushed, melted, and then reformed by a hammer and anvil."

"That's an unusual description," Lisa said unable to hide her growing smile. Rowan was back. Her Rowan. She relaxed in her chair and studied him. So many thoughts were firing off in her head like fireworks. She didn't know where to start or what to say. In the end, she decided to ask the one question that had repeatedly popped in her head more than the others.

"How much do you remember?"

Carefully, he sat up in a sitting position. Lisa opened her mouth to object but let him finish. He held his head in his hand for a moment before turning to her. They looked at each other in silence for a moment like they were trying to communicate telepathically. Lisa examined his eyes for a sign that Revenant might still be there inside. She didn't see anything, but there was something else. Purple flakes dotted his blue irises like a kaleidoscope.

"To be honest, I don't remember much or at least not much in detail. It all feels like a fever dream. The last thing I remember with clarity was you blasting Drasil. Then everything filled with light and after that, it's like a hallucination. I can't tell what was real and what wasn't. I don't even know what month it is."

"It's the middle of November," Lisa said. She paused. "I guess I should bring you up to speed."

Lisa began telling him about everything that had happened over the last few months including the events that transpired while she was trapped in the white space. Everything from his disappearance after the battle in Tartarus, Nick showing up in the neighborhood, her rescue, and the search for the temples.

"Where is Nick?" Rowan asked when she was done with the recap. "I feel like I should thank him for taking care of you."

He smiled slightly at her, and she felt a pang on her heart as the guilt began to sprout again. She dropped her gaze. "He's somewhere in the mansion. He's been staying in your room."

"Speaking of which," Rowan said scanning the room. "Where exactly are we?"

"We're in the Milton's mansion. This is the infirmary."

Rowan gave her a confused look. "The Milton's have their own infirmary?"

"Yeah, apparently Duke and Simon get injured. A lot." She laughed slightly. She felt him reach for her hand, his fingers curling around her own. She stopped laughing and stared at him.

"I missed that. The sound of you laughing. I missed you," he said. Lisa opened her mouth to respond, but he kept going. "I'm so sorry for everything I did to you."

"That wasn't your fault. You were being corrupted by demonic and dark magic. It could have been much worse."

Rowan shook his head. "I'm not talking about that. I mean before all of this. I shouldn't have told you I loved you the way I did. I shouldn't have tried to force you to say it back to me. I'm definitely sorry for tasing you."

Lisa let out a breath that was haft laugher and half annoyance. "That was so long ago, and so many things have happened that I actually forgot about that. I think after everything we've been through, we can put those unpleasant events behind us."

"What about my parents or Dakota?" Rowan asked sounding panicked all of a sudden.

Lisa bit her lip looking unsure of what to tell him. "Kitsune and I actually spoke to your parents last month."

Rowan studied her face for a moment as if trying to understand why she looked so distraught. Then it hit him. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the mattress letting his head rest against the pillow. "They told you then. They told you everything."

Lisa let a tear roll down her face before quickly wiping it away. "Yeah, they did. Oh god, Rowan. Why didn't you ever me about what happened to you? I could have helped you. I would have been there."

"No, you couldn't have," he said. "What happened to me is not something anyone could have helped me with. After Dakota was taken away, I decided to put it behind me and never mention it again. I still have nightmares, but that's it."

"Your power?" Lisa asked.

Rowan shuddered. "It's something else I tried to forget about. After I got back home, I was repeatedly struck with fevers and sickness. I could see my eyes glowing, and it was like something was looking through them at me. It took years before it went away. I could never explain what happened to me, so I decided it was the trauma causing hallucinations."

"It was real though. But I'm here now, and we can deal with it together," Lisa said leaning forward again.

"Tell me about the prophecy."

Lisa was caught off guard for a moment then recited it from memory, "Light the way to lover's arms. From the shadows of forgiveness, there will be no harm. Feelings born from across the reaches of time and space will guide the way through the empty place. Scorn comes from the words left unsaid. The dreams and truths emerge from the queen's head. The heir will speak to the father's pride. The atlas of the stars will then be your guide. Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end. Heart in hand she will illuminate a past hidden. Only to discover the secret of darkness kept forbidden. One becomes two, two becomes one. Only the knight can finish what has begun. The wolf will howl with his last breath. A hero's sacrifice will spare the heavens' death."

"Do you know what it means?" Rowan asked.

"We were able to decipher some of it, but the last few lines haven't happened yet," she said solemnly.

"I understand," he said.

He looked at her, and for a moment Lisa was sure his eyes changed to violet. "Did you mean what you said?"

"What did I say?" she asked nervously. In the back of her mind, she was panicking about what he was about to ask her. "I've said a lot recently, so you're going to have to be more specific."

"When you told me that you wanted to go home," he said. "You didn't mean here, did you. You were talking about our world."

Lisa nodded. There was no point in denying it.

"Did you mean it though? What about you and Kitsune?"

Lisa winced at the name. She hoped that he secretly wasn't listening to them or anything creepy like that. She was sure that wasn't his style, but she knew that demigods were strange creatures that had different rules from mortals.

"I haven't told him. But yes. I did mean it. After what happened to you," she paused trying to find the right words to explain the hurricane of feelings raging inside her. "After I thought you were gone, I was lost. Then I saw everything you had been through as a kid, and how this world was affecting you and me, I knew we couldn't stay here. Kitsune was there with me, but it wasn't the same. When I made King human, and he told me you were dead, I lost it."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rowan shouted, sitting straight up. "Back up. You made King human again?"

"It's a long story," Lisa said. Rowan raised an eyebrow and Lisa was suddenly having déjà vu. "Fine. I'll tell you what happened too. Maybe I should write it down and save myself some time."

Lisa explained how Nick and King met Donna and Kyle. Rowan didn't know who they were, so she had to explain that part starting with how Rockstar met Kyle at school.

"The cubs are in high school now?" Rowan asked. "I really did miss a lot."

Lisa continued with how King and Nick met with Donna who explained her relationship with Joel. How Kyle showed up after hearing most of it and flipped out on King. Then on Halloween, Lisa somehow used her leftover goddess power to change reality so that King was never transformed into a dog and the consequences that followed. She explained that she and Joel went around the neighborhood and discovered how things had changed. How Kitsune showed up and told her that in that reality Rowan had died to stop Drasil only to have Revenant show up and nearly kill King.

"Long story short it was a huge mess," Lisa said when she finished her story. "That is another reason why I think we should leave." She placed her hands in her lap. "I feel like since we've been here, all we've done is causing trouble. The first thing we do is out King to Bill, and then Drasil happened."

Rowan reached over and placed his hand on her arm. His touch was cold but still familiar. "Hey, Drasil was planning his escape for years remember. That had nothing to do with us. We showed up, and he changed it, but he was always planning to use King for his escape."

"Kitsune could have stopped him easily if it wasn't for us," Lisa explained. "Us being her distracted him and Drasil came dangerously close to escaping."

"And you stopped him."

Lisa shook her head. "And look what's happened because of that. Revenant is loose somewhere trying to destroy the world, and you can't say that us being here didn't cause that."

Rowan was silent. Lisa continued, "I almost ruined King's life, again. The pets have been put in more danger than they usually are. And Kitsune…" She sighed before crossing her arms against her chest. Rowan removed his hand from her arm. "I think coming here was a mistake."

"I don't think so," Rowan said simply. Lisa shot him a frustrated look which he ignored. "From what you've told me, we've done a lot of good. King didn't even know about Kyle, but now they are trying to be a family."

"If it wasn't for us, then King may not have found out about him, and they could have lived in blissful ignorance."

"How is that better?" Rowan asked. "Isn't it better that they know about each other?"

"You weren't there. I saw King bleeding out. I thought he was going to die. All I could think about was how it was my fault."

"Everything worked out in the end," Rowan said calmly. "Just like with Drasil. If it wasn't for us, there is no guarantee that he would have been contained. Thanks to you he's gone for good."

"At what cost?" Lisa asked unable to hide the quiet horror in her voice. "Between what happened to you and me. We lost so much."

"I'm here now," Rowan said. "You're here now. Everyone is alive."

"For now," Lisa said standing up. "Once we stop Revenant then I think we should go home and stay there this time."

Rowan held her gaze, his eyes cold and hard as steel. "Is that what you really want?"

"I'm not sure. But I think it's what for best."

"Okay then," Rowan said. "What are we going to do in the meantime. Like you said Revenant is out there somewhere. I don't know where he is or anything like that if you were wondering."

"No, I wasn't thinking that," Lisa lied. Truthfully, she and Kitsune hoped that the connection between Rowan and Revenant could help them track the fourth temple or at least Revenants current location. "I'm going to check on Kitsune and see what progress he's made."

She began walking out the room when Rowan called to her, "If you see Nick, can you tell him to come to talk to me. I want to meet him in person considering how much help he's been to everyone."

Lisa stopped at the door. She looked back at him and smiled, "Sure. I'll send him here then come check on you." She opened the door and stepped out, carefully closing it behind her before walking down the hall.

_**Milton Manor, Nick's Bedroom**_

__"You broke up with Becky!" Cody shouted from the other end of the phone. Nick moved his phone away from his ringing ears. He cursed his extra sensitive hearing. "What is wrong with you? Why would you do that?"

Nick collapsed on the bed before placing the phone back to his ear. "I didn't, we didn't. Ugh, we haven't technically broken up yet. I just implied that we should."

Nick moved the phone away just in time before Cody began shouting at him again. "That doesn't make it any better!" More quietly he went on, "You love each other. I know these last few years were hard for you both, but I thought you two would find a way to make it work."

"How could we make it work?" Nick growled. "I've barely seen her these last few years."

"Whose fault is that?" Cody asked.

"I don't know the universe, the gods, magic," Nick said silently. Out loud he said, "No one's fault but this is what it is. I can't be with her like this." He gestured at his half-naked body. He was only wearing pants at the moment exposing his furry chest for the world to see.

There was a banging sound from Cody's end, and he went on. "If you tried then you could make it work. What about that ECP thing, you were telling me about. I still think you could get an apartment together if you wanted to somewhere in the city where she works. Someplace that allows pets."

"We've been over this. I doubt I could even pass for a pet and I don't want to live like that," Nick said firmly. "Living together like this would only be awkward and sow resentment in our relationship. The only reason it's lasted this long is that we've been apart. We can be together but what's the point if we can't even kiss?"

"First, gross. TMI. I don't need to know what you two do together when you're alone." Cody said followed by another banging sound like metal clashing against metal. "And isn't being together at all better than nothing?"

Nick knew the cougar had a point but still couldn't bring himself to hurt Becky any more than he already had. She deserved to move on. They both did.

"Hey, quiet down. Don't touch that," Cody muttered on the other end. Nick's ears perked up, and he focused on the background noise of the phone call. It sounded like there were other voices. Nick thought it was just the television, but now he was sure it was something else.

Anger flared up in his chest, and he asked, "Cody, did you invite ferals over to the cabin? Again?"

"What? No, I would never do that after last time," he said. Nick could hear him hiss something to whoever or whatever was there with him.

Nick pinched his forehead. "Cody, if I get home and find any fur that isn't yours or mine, so help me I will kill you," he said in his most threatening growl.

"Speaking of which, when are you coming back. You've been gone for almost three months. I miss you."

Nick ignored the obvious attempt at changing the subject. "The book is finished. I'm staying to help deal with a crisis that needs my attention." Nick hadn't gone into too much detail with Cody about Revenant or his attempt to turn every animal in the world into bloodthirsty beasts. That wasn't something you just casually mention. "Once this is taken care of I'll come home. I'm going to stick around to the deadline. Becky is supposed to stop by here in a few weeks so we can talk."

"You mean formally break up," Cody said not attempting to hide the anger in his voice. "Dude, you're my best friend. I don't want to see you throw your happiness away. Isn't there something you can do to break the curse. What about that fox god you were telling me about? Can't he do anything?"

"I don't think he's capable of doing that and if he is, he's made no attempt to do it," Nick said. Revenant's offer crept into his mind like a poisonous spider. He said he would break Nick's curse if he helped him get the last mana pool. Nick was not sure what he had to do, but it didn't matter. He would not betray his friends just for a brief moment of happiness with Becky before the world fell apart.

The was another banging sound louder this time. Nick scrambled off the bed and opened his mouth to yell when a loud knocking came at his door. "I got to go," Nick said. "I'll be back in a few weeks. Try not to destroy anything else."

Nick ended the call before Cody could get off one of his snarky replies. He tossed the phone back on his bed before walking to the door. He opened it to reveal Lisa on the other side. She looked uncomfortable standing there like she had something she wanted to say, but the words were lodged in her throat. Nick could sense that whatever was going on it was not about him so why was she there when she hadn't left Rowan's side for an entire day.

"Hey, Rowan," her voice trailed off as she pointed down the hallway toward the infirmary. "Rowan wanted to talk to you."

"Really?" Nick asked suddenly confused. He hadn't had a chance to talk to the infamous Rowan. Every time he went into the infirmary to check on Lisa, he would always get strange vides from the sleeping man. Seeing him made Rowan hear Revenant's voice in his head. "Why does he want to see me?"

"Well, you did help save him from Revenant, so I think it is to say thank you not to mention I have been telling him all about you," she said with a dangerous smirk.

Nick tried to return the smile but found he couldn't do it. He was not in the mood. There was too much going on with him to exchange pleasantries.

"Don't worry, it's only been the good things," she said, but Nick could tell her heart wasn't in it either.

Part of him knew this would happen. With Rowan back, the hole in her life Nick had been filling the last few months no longer needed him. All the more reason for him to leave, Nick thought. He was an outsider again. A third wheel. An extra in a story that was coming to an end.

"I'll go see what he wants," Nick said, He walked past her without a word. Her gaze burned into his back, but he ignored it. Lisa was the closest thing he had to a real friend besides Cody. She got him in a way that no one else did. She was also an outsider among the rest of the pets. He was always thankful for her company and respected her opinion on certain matters.

Nick mindlessly walked into the infirmary without bothering to knock first. To his surprise, Rowan was sitting up in his bed. His back was turned to Nick as he stood out the window seemingly obvious to the wolf's presence. Seeing him fill Nick with a molten surge of emotions from anger to hatred. Revenant's words echoed again, _"I can give you what you want more than anything. I can make you human again."_

Rowan turned to him, and for a moment, Nick felt a growl rise up in his throat, but he kept it down. This guy was not Revenant. He was just an injured person. The eyes weren't even the same.

"It's good to meet you, Nick," Rowan said politely.

Nick nodded but said nothing. The fur on the back of his neck stood up at the sound of his voice. It was the same as his but different at the same time. More human.

"Can you take a seat?" Rowan nodded at the empty chair by his bed. Nick obeyed unsure about where this was going. When he was seated, he crossed his arms over his bare chest, and Rowan continued. "There is something I need from you."

"This should be good," Nick thought to himself. He arched an eyebrow at Rowan and waited.

"I need a favor. Something that only you can do," he said his eye narrowing. "I'll understand if you refuse to do this, but this is also what is best for Lisa."

Nick twisted uncomfortably in his seat. He furrowed his brow, and his body tensed, so he was ready to leave at any moment.

"I know you two have gotten close since you've been here," Rowan said. Nick started to protest, but Rowan interrupted him before the first syllable left his lips. "Not that way. I know you have a fiancé. I mean to say you've become good friends."

Nick frowned at him. He wasn't wrong. "I realized something important. Something about myself that I've been trying to keep buried for a long time. That is why I know you'll do the right thing. For her sake."

"What it is then?" Nick asked getting impatient.

A thousand different ideas of what Rowan could want flew through his head ranging from simple to complex to just gross. He was sure he was ready for anything. When Rowan told him what he needed him to do, Nick was definitely not prepared for it.

_**Milton Manor, Keene's/Lana's Office**_

"Are you sure that is where the temple is located."

Lisa paused in front of the office door. Kitsune was the one who just spoke. Leaning forward she gently pressed her ear to the wood and listened to Keene's response.

"That is what my father believed. It was in his notes, and it makes sense from what you've told us. East and surrounded by water. Unfortunately, we do not have an exact location, and it is a large body of water."

"That won't matter," Kitsune said, "Once Revenant uses his powers, I will be able to sense it and his location. The time for secrecy and sneaking around is passed. Once he makes his move, we will have to charge in after him."

Lisa walked into the room. Keene and Lana were by the large desk that once belonged to Henry Milton while Kitsune was standing next to one of the large bookcases that lined the wall of the office. The fox turned to Lisa as she stepped over the threshold but didn't look surprised by her appearance. He gave her a slight smile but no other sign that he was glad she was there.

"We know where Durathror's temple is?" Lisa glared at them questioningly. "Where is it?"

"The Black Sea according to my father's notes," Keene informed her. He was sitting in his large leather chair with several old looking documents placed in front of him. Lisa walked closer to get a closer look. She had seen Henry Milton's notes before but never could quite understand what the man was trying to say. Luckily, Keene understood his adopted father better than anyone else.

"When are we going?" Lisa asked turning back to Kitsune.

"That is a good question," he said. His red eyes met hers and Lisa could feel her heart beat faster her chest. She broke his eyes and focused on the necklace hanging from his neck. The yin-yang that he sometimes wore along with his usual purple jacket and a red shirt. "The problem seems to be that Durathror has kept his temple well hidden from everyone. He was always the least fun of the four and the most paranoid. Revenant will most likely turn the Black Sea inside out to find it. Once he makes his move, I'll take us all there. After that, the plan is to split into two groups."

Kitsune pointed to the corner of the room, and for the first time, Lisa noticed that there were more pets in the office. Peanut, Max, Grape, Sabrina, and Tarot were all seated listening intensely as Kitsune explained the plan. He went on, "Team A will be me, you if you're up to it, and Nick. Our job will be to hold off Revenant while Team B," Kitsune gestured back towards the others will dispose of the mana."

"Hopefully it will go better this time," Sabrina said. "So far our luck has not been great when dealing with this kind of crisis."

"And whose fault was that?" Tarot said glaring at Kitsune who flatly ignored her. Lisa knew Tarot was referring to the incident with Pete's temple. The Pomeranian's gaze shifted to Keene who was staring at the papers on his desk.

"This time it will have to work," Kitsune said. His tone made Lisa uncomfortable. She was still not used to him acting like this. He was scared. Revenant told them that Kitsune was not used to not being in control. Part of her wanted to walk over and wrap her arms around his neck, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Lisa walked over to Kitsune and whispered in his ear, "Are you sure we want to bring them? I mean, they almost died in Dain's temple. I don't want anything to happen to them. Can't you dispose of the mana?"

Kitsune's shoulders slumped down. "I admit it is dangerous, but they are determined to help. Not to mention, yes, I could get rid of the mana myself, but there is no possible way both you and Nick can hold against Revenant with his powers."

"Don't worry about us, Lisa." She turned to see that Peanut had stood up. "We have to do this. It isn't about you guys anymore. It never was. This affects all of us."

"He's right," Grape said, "We are in this together. We all fought Drasil together, and we can do this as well."

Max agreed to take his place beside Grape. Sabrina and Tarot looked more uncertain but said nothing.

"If this show of unity is over," Keene said causing Lisa to frown. "There are a few more things we need to get over since Revenant can strike at any moment." He pressed a button on the desk, and a second later Jeeves walked in carrying a large bag. He set in down on the table before walking out without a word.

Keene opened the bag and pulled out several hats and what looked like props from a stage play. Carefully he placed each one on the desk and turned his attention back to the others.

"From what I was told, the last temple trip was less than ideal. So I went ahead and planned a careful strategy along with Tarot and Sabrina."

Tarot walked over to the desk and picked up a knight's helmet. "We decided that we are going to tweak the rules of the temple slightly to work to our advantage. Normally the rules of the temple follow standard roleplaying rules but since imagination is key to this process, we decided to take advantage of it." She tossed the helmet to Peanut along with a wooden shield and sword. The sword had engraving on it as well as the shield. "Peanut is going to be our knight. We won't have to worry about traps or puzzles this time since Kitsune is going to be with us and this time is not going to make us play some game." Kitsune sighed, his gaze sharpening. Tarot went on handing other hats and props to the others. "This is a dangerous mission, so we are playing this straight. Grape is going to be the healer this time. Max is going to be a barbarian." She handed Grape an olive crown along with a metal wand and Max a helmet similar to Lester's and a large plastic ax."

"What about you two," Max asked as Sabrina put on her witch hat and Tarot placed her mask on her face. "Why do you both get to remain the same each time."

"Hon, please. We know what we are doing," Sabrina told him. "We have a lot more experience with this kind of stuff."

"What about Nick and me?" Lisa asked looking at the remaining props.

"Nick has already decreed that he is sticking with his wolf-walker class and we wanted you to decide for yourself," Kitsune said.

"I'm going use the paper bag from Peru," Lisa said crossing her arms. "I know where it is, and I know how to use it."

"That's what I figured," Tarot said with a slight smile. "You have the knowledge to back up the power, so we have nothing to worry about."  
"We trust you," Sabrina said.

Lisa's chest warmed at the thought her friends putting their fates in her hands. She appreciated that they had so much faith in her, but that also made her nervous. She was there during the fight with Drasil until the very end, and all she did in the last temple was dive head first into the mana.

"You're right," Lisa said. "Together we can do this."

"Don't think you're going to do this without me," a voice said behind them. Lisa turned to see Rowan leading in the doorway. He was dressed in clean clothes, but his hair was a mess like he just got of bed which in this case was what happened.

"Rowan!" Lisa cried. "What are you doing out of bed. You need to get more rest."

Rowan shook his head. "I'm going. Revenant is part of me. You need me to stop him. I know what he is capable of not to mention I am just as strong a fighter as the rest of you. I was the one who was able to keep Drasil at bay for as long as we did."

"Rowan," Kitsune said calmly. "That all is true, but you are in no condition to do was relieved that he was taking her side. "But I agree that we could use more help. Even I am not entirely sure what Revenant is capable of at this point. If anyone has a chance of stopping him, it would be his other half."

Lisa stared at Kitsune with an expression of shock and anger. His paw grabbed hold of the necklace which made Lisa wonder what was going through the fox's mind.

"I can't believe you agree with this insanity," Lisa told him. To Rowan, she said, "Rowan, you suffered a lot over the last few months, and you will need more than just one day of rest before doing something this dangerous and crazy." He gave her a small smile, the corner of his mouth curling upward. Lisa was not impressed. He was breathing heavily like the mere act of standing was draining him. He still had not eaten anything since who knows when. The closer she looked at him, the worse he appeared.

"This is happening Lisa," Rowan said keeping his voice reasonable. "I am going with you because it is the only way to stop him."

Lisa turned from Rowan to Kitsune before giving up. With an exasperated sigh, she shook her hands in front her like she was trying to strangle the air. She was defeated, and she knew it. "At least try to get some rest and something to eat in the meantime. We don't when Revenant will strike so we have some time to prepare."

"Actually, we don't," Rowan muttered darkly. "I could sense Revenant for a brief moment. It felt like a fire burning behind my eyes. He used his powers again, and for a moment I could feel his presence."

"He's right," Kitsune said snapping to attention. "I can sense him as well. I know where he is, and it's not good. We need to go right now."

Lisa went into full panic mode but restrained herself for the sake of the others. The pets began putting on hats and grabbing weapons. Keene whispered to Lana about a fallout shelter being set up which Lisa ignored. "I'll go fetch Nick. We have a water temple to crash."

"I guess we'll need to bring Iron Boots," Peanut joked.

Everyone in the room glared at him.

_**Milton Manor, Nick's Bedroom**_

Nick's mind was buzzing with what he was just told. He was not sure how he made it back to his room. His legs felt weak, and his head was groggy. How could Rowan tell him that or ask him to do something so horrendous? He wasn't that kind of guy no matter how he looked at the moment.

Shaking his head, he pulled out open a dresser drawer and pulled out a t-shirt. He suddenly did not want to feel so exposed.

"And here I liked the shirtless look."

Nick pulled down the shirt and stared wide-eyed at his mirror. Instead of his reflection was the image of the last person he wanted to see. Revenant stared at him through the glass with a wicked grin spread across his face. The swirling golden eyes narrowed and appraising.

"What? How? Why?" Nick tried to finish a thought, but he was stricken with confusion and uncertainty. His brain screamed for him to cry for help or leave the room to find the others, but his body would not obey.

"I guess you can call it a kink of mine. The shirtless thing works for you. Shows off the abs," Revenant said.

Nick felt sickened by the villain's words. He did not want to put on a show for that monster. Quickly he pulled his arms through the sleeves and pulled the shirt down as far as it would go."

"What do you want because I can't imagine you would appear just to ogle me?" Nick growled.

"I'll make this quick since I know we are both busy men. Right now, I'm sure your friends are plotting against me and will be here soon. I need an answer about what we spoke about before. Are you willing to help me or not?"

Nick knew this was coming and already had an answer for him. "I will never help you."

Revenant arched an eyebrow but did not look surprised. Nick went on to say, "Why would I even help you destroy the world I live in. It never made sense, to begin with. Even if you did make me human and I could spend my last few moments with Becky what would she think if she found out I sold out literally everyone just for myself. So you can take your offer and shove it…"

"I am willing to give you more," Revenant said interrupting Nick. "I realize at the time my offer was not ideal, so I'm here to rectify it." His hand appeared through the glass like it was made of water. Nick's ears flattened against his head as he watched the hand edge closer to where he was standing. It wasn't empty either. Sitting on Revenant's palm was a large golden bracelet engraved with various images.

"What is this?" Nick asked avoiding the hand and the bracelet.

"I'm sure Lisa has told you about it. How she used this very bracelet to travel between worlds. I am giving it to you free of charge. Go on take it."

Nick was sure this was a trap, but his curiosity got the better of him. He picked it up, and the hand jerked back through the mirror. "What am I supposed to do with it?

"Leave," Revenant answered. "Leave this world with your beloved before pandemonium strikes. I am offering you your humanity, your love, and a new chance at a new life."

Nick shivered. The bracelet suddenly felt much colder to him. His mouth fell open as he looked up at Revenant. "What?"

"You can go to Lisa's world or someplace different. Take whatever you need and start over where nothing that happens here can affect you. Leave this world to burn. Why would you want to stay anyway?" Revenant spoke slowly letting each word drip from his tongue like acid. "Your parents abandoned you as soon as you were turned into a wolf. Your cougar friend is nothing but trouble for you. Your friends here, eh, what have they done for you. Once you're finished here, you'll never see any of them again. You're not a part of this. You're a writer. You can take your book and publish it again. You can do better."

Nick was breathless as Revenant spoke. He could feel the words he was saying coil around his heart, squeezing it tighter until Nick felt like it was going to stop completely. Everything he said was true. What did he owe any of these people? He would miss Cody, but the feral was just a housemate because he was lonely. If he had Becky with him, what would he need a pet for? Becky would never have to know. They could be together someplace safe. That's all that mattered, wasn't it?

Nick's phone buzzed and interrupted his trance. He turned and saw Becky's face and name light up the screen. Her smile dispersed the fog that had been surrounding his brain like the sun breaking through the clouds. He could see everything more clearly than before. He would protect her no matter what, but she wasn't the only thing that mattered to him anymore.

"No, I won't betray them just for myself," Nick murmured and smiled at the mirror. "I will stop you from destroying this world. No matter what happens I will not become a monster."

Revenant said nothing only shot Nick a deadly glare before disappearing. The image in the mirror was replaced with Nick's wolfish one. His dark fur, teeth, pointed ears, and claws suddenly didn't seem like a curse anymore. Nick's brows lifted in amazement of how he felt. For the first time, he was glad to be cursed because it was because of that he met the others. He would do anything for them just like any one of his other friends. The buzzing behind him stopped.

Nick picked up the phone and was about to call Becky back when there was a loud banging on his door. "Nick! Nick, we have to go now!" Lisa shouted and banged on the door another three times. "Get ready and grab your bag from yesterday. We need you."

"I'm coming," Nick shouted back. He waited as Lisa's footsteps hurried away. Carefully he placed the bracelet on the dresser in front of him. Holding up his phone, he took a picture of it and sent it Becky along with a long explanation of what to do with it if anything happened to him. After sending photo and message, he typed the words, "I'm sorry," before hitting send. He tossed the phone on the bed and pulled out the paper bag from the day before. Without looking back, Nick was out of the room and closed the door behind him. The phone buzzed again, and a message from Becky appeared on the screen.

_**The Black Sea, Durathror's Temple**_

True to his word as soon as the team was gathered in Keene's office, Kitsune snapped his fingers, and they were all instantly transported to the middle of a large body of water. Lisa squinted her eyes in the bright sunlight. The smell of salt filled the air, and there was nothing around them but dark blue water. She looked down and saw they were standing on a stone floor that looked like it had been baking in the sun for centuries. A large stone square that appeared to be hovering above the surface of the water.

"Where are we?" Rowan asked. He was using a long sword for support so to keep from falling over.

Atop his head was a paper bag with the words, "Anime hero" written on it in black sharpie. Lisa could feel her own bag on top of her head. It did not feel as awkward as it did before now that she knew what to expect. The others were dressed and ready to go. Max swung his ax around a few times as if trying to get the feel of it.

"This is the top of the temple," Kitsune explained. He walked to the center of the platform. Lisa followed him and together walked up to a large circle with the image of a large deer engraved into it. She had seen similar images before, but this one was different. Durathror looked more dignified than the others. Around his long antlers were eight bright stars.

"This is it," Kitsune said. "There is no going back. I need to warn you that because Revenant is still part human and due to Durathror's own magic, my power will be considerably weakened. I can fight, but I can't kill him." He looked at them, specifically Rowan and Nick. "That will be up to you to take care of him for good."

Without waiting for a response, he held out his paw, and a small ball of foxfire appeared. It launched itself from Kitsune's fingers and splintered in mid-air before the embers struck each of the eight stars. They each glowed brightly before the circle turned on its own. It sunk into the stone floor before sliding out of view.

Kitsune smiled at Lisa one last time before jumping into the darkness. Lisa looked back at Rowan who was watching intensely. He glanced at Nick who was looking back at him. They nodded to each other like they were conveying some secret message. Lisa wanted to ask about that but instead jumped in after Kitsune.

The fall was horrific. She screamed all the way down before crashing into a large pool of ice-cold water. Flashing back to Dain's temple, Lisa was sure she was going to die again. But a steady hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to dry land. She looked up and saw Kitsune standing over her. Standing up, she realized she was back to wearing her previous outfit, a short-skirt and colorful uniform with a glowing gem on her chest. Her hair was long again and had the same blue steak down to the tip.

A splashing behind them alerted them to the other's arrival. Nick was the first to emerge from the water wearing his leather armor and pants. His fur seemed even more ragged than in the previous temple. Rowan popped up next wearing a long red and black robe that Lisa recognized from Tartarus. The pets looked the same when they emerged from the water only that their weapons were suddenly much more lethal than before. Lisa could feel power radiated from each of them which meant that whatever Keene and Tarot did to them was working.

"Revenant is already here and ahead of us. I can take us to the mana pool, so we need to be prepared for a fight," Kitsune said. The rest of them nodded. Rowan drew his sword from his sheath and Nick raised his claws in a lethal pose.

Kitsune snapped his fingers and the next thing Lisa knew they were standing directly between Revenant and the mana pool. She twisted her next and saw the pool behind them. It was placed similarly to the one in Pete's temple with white columns surrounding it, but the difference was it this pool was surrounded by water pouring from two gigantic statues of stags standing beside it. They were almost as tall as the ceiling and wore nothing but animal skin pants. In their hands was a large bird and snake that looked distressingly familiar to Lisa. The water poured from the snake's and bird's open mouths.

"Did I ever mention that Durathror hated Pete and Dragon more than anyone else?" Kitsune whispered to her when he caught her staring at the statues.

"Well, isn't this a surprise or it would be if it weren't completely predictable," Revenant said.

"No time to waste," Lisa shouted. She pointed to the mana and screamed, "Guys, get rid of the mana! We'll keep him busy."

Without missing a beat, Peanut, Tarot, Max, Sabrina, and Grape charged to the water. They jumped over the moat, and each landed gracefully on the other side. It was as if they had rehearsed it a hundred times. Sabrina and Tarot each took a side opposite of the mana pool. Tarot nodded to Sabrina and together they began chanting an incantation that Lisa could not understand. A black hole appeared in the space above the mana just as Lisa remembered from the comic. Max stood by Sabrina with his ax raised towards Revenant and Peanut did the same with Tarot. Grape stood on the edge of stone platform, so she was directly in front of the mana pool. Her wand was raised so she could perform any healing for the pets or Lisa and others.

Lisa was overjoyed with seeing them like that. They were the same troublemakers she used to read about anymore. They were grown up and saving the world. She turned to Revenant, and her hands began to glow with her own power. It was time to finish this once and for all.

Nick and Rowan stood beside her forming a wall between Revenant and the pets. Kitsune's tails straightened out, and multi-colored fireballs appeared at the tips of his tails. His entire body glowed, and he grew twice his average size.

If Revenant was scared or even impressed by their show of power and resistance, he did not show it. Instead, he slowly scanned each of them before chuckling to himself. "This is the best this world can offer. This is the best you can offer. A demigod whose powers are practically useless. A wolf who rather stay an animal than betray his so-called friends."

Nick growled but did not move from his spot. Revenant continued, "You should be proud of him. He decided he would rather die a savage creature than betray you guys and run away to another world be with his one true love."

They all looked at him. Nick glanced down at the floor, his anger was gone, and instead, he looked defeated.

"Nick," Lisa whispered. "Why didn't you leave?" Part of her was glad he didn't betray them but would have understood if he did. Becky meant more to Nick than anything, and he still gave her up to help them.

"Then there is the half-dead wannabe hero." Lisa glanced at Rowan and saw that he was breathing harder than before. His eyes were half closed and worse his entire body seemed to be shaking. "If you haven't figured it out yet, he's dying." Lisa focused on Revenant. He was looking right at her. "That's what happens when part of yourself has been torn away. I should thank you for that by the way, Lisa. Once I claim my ultimate power, Rowan will be dead for good this time. That's if he survives even to see it."

"That's enough!" Lisa shouted. The idea that Rowan was dying before their eyes scared her more than she wanted to admit. She knew that he was not doing well, but Revenant was sucking away what little life he had left like a parasite. "Tell me this, Revenant. Why are you doing this? Why do you want to destroy this world? Before I could understand because of what happened to me, but you and Rowan are separated now. So, what is there to gain from hurting so many people and animals."

"I want to watch the world burn," Revenant said.

"What?" Lisa stared in disbelief. "That's all. You want to watch everyone die and suffer because you enjoy it."

Revenant smiled coldly at her. "I am the Yang to Rowan's Yin. The embodiment of darkness in this world. To be honest, what did you expect when you separated us from each other." He took a step forward and spoke in a reasonable voice, "Let me ask you something, what do you think will happen to Rowan if you kill me?"

Lisa understood what he was asking. She wished she didn't. She wanted him to be lying but deep down knew it was the truth. You couldn't just destroy one without destroying the other. In the corner of her eyes, she could see Rowan's calm expression. He knew the cost and had excepted it. The problem was, she couldn't.

"Rowan," she said. Before she could blink Rowan charged at Revenant with his sword raised.

Purple fire wrapped itself around the blade just as he brought it down on Revenant's head. Rowan's strike was blocked by Revenant's own weapon. A sword made entirely of golden and black fire. In his other hand, a second sword appeared.

The others took that as their cue to strike. Nick ran at Revenant ready to tear him apart with his long claws while Kitsune launched himself skyward before unleashing several fireballs at the monster's head. Lisa knew she should be helping, but her body was frozen. She couldn't bring herself to hurt Revenant if it meant Rowan would die.

Inside her chest, she could feel her heart breaking as the realization washed over her in waves of despair. They all knew what it would take to defeat him and were willing to pay the cost. But none of them told her. They knew she couldn't do it. They were right.

Several explosions filled Lisa's vision. Smoke snaked around them as Kitsune and others stepped back to admire their handy work. Revenant stood in the same place completely unharmed. His golden eyes bored into each of them as if trying to decide who to kill first. The swords in his hands disappeared and instead was replaced with a dark glowing light that spread around his entire body. He was lifted into the air and hovered in front of them all. His eyes glowed brighter than before like two searchlights cutting through the darkness of a moonless night.

"Let me show you my power. The power that comes from three of the four stags," his deep voice echoed around the chamber giving it a more oppressive feel. "If you think you can stall me long enough for those beasts to dry the mana well then let me show you how wrong you are."

Above Revenant's head, dozens of flaming swords appeared. With one wave of his hands, they sailed over Lisa and the others and headed directly to each of the pets.

"Watch out!" Lisa screamed, and for the first time, her legs obeyed her command, propelling her towards them.

Grape stood there watching the swords coming towards them but showed no fear. Instead, she raised her wand and cried, "_Grand Protection_."

A giant barrier of purple light appeared around them and the mana pool. Each of the swords struck the barrier, but it did not break. The purple smirked at Revenant whose face twisted in rage.

"_Piercing Arrow Raid_," he said. In his hands, two long stone javelins appeared. He threw them both simultaneously. They flew towards the barrier and Lisa expected the same thing to happen as before. Unfortunately, this time, the javelins broke through the barrier and headed directly towards Tarot and Sabrina who were helpless to stop them. Peanut and Max moved to stop them. Peanut raised his shield, and the javelin broke on impact. Max swung his ax with perfect timing, splitting the javelin in two. The broken pieces clattered harmlessly on the floor by their feet.

Something dark flashed across Revenant's eyes. He was annoyed which meant it was time to strike back. The pets could take care of themselves, Lisa decided. It was her turn to fight. All they had to do was keep Revenant away from the mana. She would worry about Rowan later.

A powerful force spread through Lisa's body from the tips of her fingers to the soles of her feet. In her hand, she imagined a long sky-blue sword and just like that it appeared. In was engraved with golden runes that felt strangely familiar to her. She felt the same type of power as she did when she defeated Drasil and now it was time to do it again.

"_Starlight Aria_," she struck Revenant with the tip of her sword and faster than anyone could follow landed ten consecutive hits on his body leaving glowing marks on his coat resembling stars.

"There it is," Revenant said. "Show me your power, Lisa Smith. The power of the girl who killed a god!" He waved his hand unleashing a giant wave of black and red fire.

Kitsune jumped in front of the fire just as Lisa's backed away. He clapped his paws together, and a giant fox made entirely of fire appeared around him. The image of Susanoo flashed in Lisa's mind.

"Howling Hunter," Nick said and slammed his fist into Revenant's back launching him upward through the air. Nick jumped up and landed two lethal looking swipes against Revenant's chest sending him crashing down to the ground.

"Tectonic Catastrophe," Revenant said and planted both hands on the floor. The entire temple shook vigorously. Cracks spread through the walls and the floor. From where Revenant lied, a gigantic fissure spread through the stone, emitting intense heat. To Lisa's horror, terrible molten spikes erupted from the fissure and moved towards her and the others.

"Move!" Lisa shouted and jumped out of the way as the spikes neared her. Each one was larger than the one before it. The entire temple threatened to collapse around them. Images of them drowning as the Black Sea poured around them flashed through Lisa's mind. The heat from the hot stone blurred her vision and clouded her mind, but she managed to keep her cool and stay focused on Revenant.

Kitsune moved to intercept the spikes. He grew three times his size and blasted the spikes with a surge of foxfire. The flames denigrated the spikes, but the damage was done. Chunks of the temple began to fall around them. It was only a matter of time before the entire structure became unstable.

Revenant stood up and brushed himself off. Golden energy sparked at his fingertips. "I have the power of gods. Let me show you the full extent of what I have gained."

Black wind swirled around him, lifting his body into the air. Fire spread around his body and was carried into the swirling storm. The dust and bits of stone that were carried by the wind merged and combined into large lethal projectiles that were heated by the fire until they turned to molten rocks. "Black Storm."

Revenant unleashed his monstrous creation, and it spread outward from his body and throughout the entire temple. Lisa slashed the incoming stones with her sword, but her body began tiring almost instantly. The fire was harder to dodge due to the severe wind swirling around her. She felt like her body was being cooked in an oven as millions of tiny knives devoured her flesh. A large stone sailed directly towards her head, and she raised her sword to protect her, but she was too slow. She closed her eyes, ready for the end but it never came. When she opened them again, she found herself surrounded by a barrier of multi-colored light.

Lisa turned towards Kitsune who was in a state of pure focus. His paws were spread out, and his red eyes glowed with divine power. He was protecting not only her but Nick from the storm. The large wolf looked equally surprised by what was going on.

"Rowan, do it," Kitsune roared through his gritted teeth.

Across the room, Rowans stood there with his sword spinning in his hand. Purple fire spread from the sword turning it into a flaming buzz saw. "_Ultimate Onslaught_," he cried before jumping into the air. He held out his spinning sword and pointed it directly at Revenant. The other man turned unable to hide his surprise as Rowan struck him directly. The sound of screaming filled the temple as well as the sound of hundreds of repeated explosions.

Revenant flew backward, slamming into the far wall of the temple where he crumbled to the floor. Rowan landed roughly as well. His sword flew out of his hand and skidded across the floor. Exhausted, Rowan collapsed.

"Rowan," Lisa cried and ran over to him as the barrier disappeared. She knelt beside him and tried to pick him up, but he pushed her away.

"I'm fine. That attack is just extremely hard to pull off. I need a healer," he told her between ragged breaths.

Lisa faced towards Grape and was about to call her over to help when the sound of heavy footsteps interrupted her.

"That is enough," Revenant bellowed. They all faced him as he continued walking towards them. His cloak was in tattered revealing his injured body. He was breathing hard, and Lisa could tell why. His entire chest was burned, and chunks of skin had been torn away by Rowan's attack. "This is all your fault. This time I will take care of you once and for all."

Black energy burned through the air as Revenant launched himself forward. Lisa drew Rowan closer to her body to protect him, but Revenant flew past them. She watched in horror as Revenant struck against Kitsune's chest with his outstretched hand. Kitsune let loose an unearthly shriek as red and black lightning flared from where Revenant had struck.

Without thinking, Lisa ran towards them. With her sword raised, she felt a new surge of energy course through her. Her vision was filled with a bright light as she swung her weapon. "_Heaven's Serenade_."

Rays of golden light exploded from her sword and cut through the air towards Revenant. He let go of Kitsune who instantly collapsed. Revenant continued to fly through the air, but the golden light followed him wherever he went until they struck him filling the temple with blinding light.

"Kitsune. Kitsune." Lisa cried as she tried to shake him awake. He cracked an eye and looked at her. His fur was singed black where Revenant struck. "Are you alright? Please, talk to me."

Kitsune smiled at her revealing his gleaming white teeth. "That really hurt," was all he managed to get out before breaking into a coughing fit. "I think he really got me. I don't know how but I can't feel part of my body."

"Kitsune, please. You'll be alright. You have to be. You're the Great Kitsune. You're a god and my friend." She pressed her head into his side letting his warm fur brush against her face. Her voice was breaking. "I love you."

A small warmth spread through Lisa's fingers like an ember from a dying fire. She opened her eyes and watched as golden sparks spread from her hands and danced across Kitsune's body. One by one they disappeared into his flesh, and from the sparks, light spread until Kitsune's entire body was shimmering with divine energy. He opened his eyes, and they glowed like a burning inferno. His nine tails spread out each looking more beautiful and fuller than ever before. Slowly he stood up on all fours, never before looking as much as the creature of myth then he did at that moment. He turned his head toward Lisa and laughed. It was still him, Lisa realized. She grabbed his furry head and kissed his muzzle while letting her hands stroke his chin.

Lisa felt someone watching them. When she turned around, she saw Rowan staring at them. But he didn't look upset or angry. He smiled at them, but Lisa could only see the sadness in his eyes. A tear ran down his face as he whispered, "Take of him." Even with the sounds of destruction around them, she could still hear his voice as if he was right next to her.

To Revenant he said, "It's time to end this."

Revenant was hovering in the air as he watched the events unfold. His face twisted into a demonic rage. "You think you can defeat me so easily. I am about to transcend to divinity and become the most powerful being in this or any other universe. You really think I can be stopped so easily."

"Actually, I think we can," Kitsune smirked. He turned his head to the pets and the mana pool.

With everything that had happened, Lisa had completely forgotten about the others. Revenant looked over as well. His eyes widened in horror at what was happening.

"That's all of it," Tarot shouted as the last of the mana disappeared into the void. She broke the spell and fell down in exhaustion. Sabrina did the same on the other side. The pets did it. They won.

"NO!" Revenant howled. "I'll destroy all of you." Red lightning discharged from every part of his body tearing through what remained of the temple.

"It's over now," Rowan said calmly. "Nick, now."

"_Howling Hunter_,' Nick called. Lisa looked up to see Nick soaring directly at Revenant while his back was turned. In his grip was Rowan's sword pointed outward. As he flew, a light blue fire spread around him forming the shape of a ferocious wolf charging across the room. An earsplitting howl erupted as the wolf struck Revenant. The two flew towards the ground where they left a massive indent on impact.

Nick moved away as soon as he recovered from the massive attack. Rowan did not waste any time with his next move. He spread his arms outward, and purple chains of fire erupted from his chest. Each one wrapped around Revenant's arms and legs as he tried to stand.

"No, no. I won't let you do this," Revenant screamed, but he was helpless. The chains retracted towards Rowan dragging Revenant with them. He screamed one last time as he was forced back into Rowan's body.

Lisa watched this unfold with a mix of shock and fear about what would happen next. Rowan fell to one knee and clutched his chest. Across his body, purple lines spread through his skin like cracks on a porcelain doll. He turned to her, and his eyes were glowing purple and black like Revenant's. Lisa couldn't believe what she was seeing. She felt Kitsune's arms wrap around her body as if holding her back.

Tears flowed down Rowan's face as he smiled at her. "Lisa. Forgive me," he whispered.

A long blade pierced through Rowan's chest. Time seemed to slow to a halt as Lisa watched Rowan fall forward. Nick let go of the hilt of the sword and stepped back away from Rowan's body.

"Nooooo!" Lisa screamed. She broke away from Kitsune and ran to Rowan. Tears blurred her vision as she fell to her knees beside him. "Rowan. Rowan." To Nick, she cried, "Why did you do that?"

Nick stood there unable to respond. Rowan was the one who answered. "Because I told him too."

"What?" Lisa asked. She lifted Rowan into her arms. His body was so heavy, but she couldn't let go. Her body shook as she spoke again, "Why would you do this?"

Rowan gave a harsh cough before relaxing. "It was the only way to destroy Revenant for good. I had to die with him. I needed to know that you were safe. That you were happy. I asked Nick to do it back at the manor. I couldn't let you know because if you did you would stop us. This was the only way."

"No, you can't die," Lisa said in her weakest voice. Her heart felt like it was splitting in two. "Kitsune, please do something."

Kitsune walked over but shook his head. "There is nothing I can do. My power doesn't work on him. He is too far gone now.

"It's okay," Rowan said. His voice grew shallower, trailing off into a whisper. "I know you love each other. That is all I needed. To know that you are happy." He paused and said, "We did good here. Never forget that."

"I need you here," Lisa said and bent closer. Her hair fell away brushing against Rowan's face. "I just got you back. I'm sorry for everything. I do love Kitsune. But I love you too."

"I know," Rowan said closing his eyes. With one final breath, he said, "That's all I ever wanted."

His head tilted to the side, and he was gone.

Lisa felt like something inside her had died as she sat there with Rowan's body tight in her arms. She couldn't breathe. Rowan's final words echoed in her ears as his peaceful expression stared back at her. The temple broke around them, but it sounded like it was miles away. Even Kitsune's voice was out of reach. Lisa felt someone pull her to her feet and she was helpless to stop them. The pets ran over to them as the water exploded from the walls and ceiling.

Lisa screamed as Rowan's body was torn from her grip. Blinded by rage and hatred she fought the others, but it was useless. Kitsune's arms wrapped around her and in a flash of light, everything was gone.

_**The Gates of Heaven**_

Rowan stood before the golden gates unable to believe his eyes. Lisa told him that she and Kitsune had visited heaven a few weeks back, but she couldn't do it justice. All the exhaustion and pain he felt back at the temple had disappeared entirely. He was back to wearing his normal clothes again, but they were cleaner and fresher than he thought was possible.

Not sure of what to do, Rowan stood there motionless until the gates opened up. For a second, Rowan could see the other side and it just like he imagined it would be from what he saw in the comic. A dark figure stepped out just as the gates closed again. When the light of heaven disappeared completely, Rowan was able to get a good look at who had come to greet him.

He was a tall thin man with skin the color of storm clouds. Gray but not dark or threatening. Around his entire body was a long pure black cloak with no markings or any kind of adornment. His eyes were almost entirely black except for two golden pupils in the center. He did not smile or make any kind of emotion at all. He looked like he could not feel any kind of emotion as he stood over Rowan.

"Where's Cerberus?" Rowan asked looking around for the massive three-headed dog.

"Hm, I do not believe I have ever been asked that question before," the stranger said. His voice was like smooth caramel. It made Rowan want to melt right there and follow the man no matter where he took him. "I usually get questions like 'Where am I' or 'Who are you?'"

"I know where I am," Rowan said. "But I don't know who you are?"

"I am Thanatos," the man said. From his back, two giant jet-black wings appeared.

"Wait, I know that name. You're the god of death," Rowan said. Thanatos stood motionless and said nothing. "I don't understand. Why are you here and not Cerberus?"

A flash of annoyance crossed the god's face, but it disappeared almost instantly leaving the same expressionless appearance as before. "Cerberus is in charge of guiding animals to the afterlife. Human souls are under my jurisdiction. That is why I am here and not the dog."

"That makes sense," Rowan said. "I guess this is it then. I'm ready for paradise."

"That is why I am here," Thanatos said. He raised his hand, and a piece of pure black paper appeared in it. "You are a special case, Rowan Gains. I have come to offer you a choice."

Rowan was taken aback. He had never heard of something like this happening. The image of Kitsune offering Joel his choice to remain human or a dog popped in his head, but Joel wasn't dead at the time. "What kind of choice?"

"You have two options," Thanatos said flatly. "You can return to the world of the living or continue your present journey into heaven." He paused to let that information sink in before continuing. "I have to warn you about this. If you decide to return to the living world, you will suffer greater hardships and pain than ever before. If you decide to remain here in heaven, you will only know peace and happiness as is your reward for what you have done for the mortal realm."

"Wow," Rowan said rolling his eyes. "You make it sound so tempting."

"There is more. If you choose to return to the living world, there is the possibility that you will obtain what you desire the most. That is something that not even heaven can offer."

Rowan froze. What he desired most of all? He turned his head to see the long golden staircase behind him. What he desired most of all was back there.

Thanatos stared at him for a few seconds before asking, "What is your choice?"

_**December 7, 2018**_

_**Milton Manor**_

Becky pulled up to the entrance of the Milton Manor unsure of what to expect. She had spent the last few hours going through the different things she could say or do to prevent what was about to happen. The last few weeks had been rough for her. Ever since Nick told her that they might have to break up, she had been distraught. Deep down, she knew that they were fooling themselves to keep up their masquerade of an engagement. The thought of breaking up because of something as absurd as a curse always seemed ridiculous. Then he sends her a long-winded text message about a magic ring that could take her to another dimension if things went south and another text that only said, "I'm sorry." That sent her into a tailspin especially when he didn't pick up his phone for the longest time. Once he did, he explained what had been going on. At first, she didn't believe him, but the more he talked, the harder the truth was to ignore.

Weeks passed without much communication from him. She figured it was because the deadline was approaching. He would be leaving the Milton's mansion and returning to the cabin in the woods. She wanted to say something that would help him, but there was nothing she could do. Nick had grown close to the people of Babylon Gardens since he had come to stay with them. Part of her regretted coming at all. Who was she now to interrupt the life he had built for himself there? Especially if they were going to break up.

Getting out of her car, Becky pulled out her phone and called Nick. After one ring, he picked up and asked, "You're here?"

Taking a deep breath, Becky tried to keep her composure and said, "I'm here. Where are you?"

"I'm heading towards the door now. Just come on inside." He paused, and she could hear the sound of footsteps echoing around the marble floors through the phone. "I have a surprise for you."

Becky ended the call and looked around. The large driveway was full of different cars of sizes and shapes. She knew that the Milton's were eccentric billionaires, but they were ferrets so they couldn't drive all these cars. She walked up the stairs and towards the large doors before turned the handle. The door creaked open revealing a grand foyer complete with marble statues and portraits of each of the ferrets.

As Becky took everything in she heard a voice coming down the hallway. "There you are," Nick said. "I missed you more than you know."

"Well, whose fault is that?" Becky said turning towards the voice, a slight smile spreading across her face. She stopped dead when she saw him standing there in front of her. Her eyes widened as tears began to form in her eyes. Nick was dressed in an elegant tuxedo and one hand in his pocket. Becky felt like her heart was going to explode as she stared at him. Nick was fully human.

"Oh my god," Becky murmured, pressing her hands over her face. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face. "Nick, I don't believe it."

"I wanted to surprise you." He held out his hand and said, "Now, how about a kiss for old times' sake."

Becky flung herself into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his, breathing in his scent and tasting his flesh in her mouth. When they were done, she broke away but did not let go of him as if he would disappear if she did.

"I don't understand," she said pressing her free hand against his face. His skin was smooth with not a single trace of hair. "How did this happen?"

"Kitsune did it. He said it was my reward for helping save the world. But that is not the only reward I got," he said. Taking her hand, he pulled her down a long hallway until they reached a large glass door. On the other side, Becky could see an Olympic size pool lined with topiaries and statues. Everywhere she looked people were running around setting up chairs and tables. A large flowering arch stood at the far end of the property with a long white carpet leading to another door.

"Nick, what is going on?" Becky asked moving away from the door. The next thing she knew, Nick was kneeling on one knee beside her.

"Rebecca Goulding. Will you marry me? Right here? Right now?"

"Yes," she said almost instantly.

"She said yes," Nick called out.

That was Lisa's cue. She stepped out from her hiding place and walked over to the couple. She had never seen Becky in person, only in the pictures Nick had shown her.

"Becky, this is Lisa Smith," Nick said gesturing at Lisa as she walked over. "If you don't mind, she is going to be your maid of honor."

"It's good to meet you," Lisa said and held out her hand. Becky took it gently and shook it.

"It's good to meet you as well," Becky said. "Nick has told me a bit about you. Thank you for taking care of him all this time."

"It was nothing. I think he did more for me then I did for him," Lisa said giving Nick a quick wink. "Speaking of which, I need to start taking care of you. You can't get married in that outfit."

Becky looked down at her turtleneck and jeans. "I guess I can't, but this is really sudden. If I knew any of this would happen, well, honestly I don't know what I would do."

"Don't worry," Nick interjected. "We've spent the last few weeks preparing for this."

"You knew I would say yes?" Becky asked patting him in the chest.

Nick shrugged. "What can I say. It as animal instinct."

Both Lisa and Becky rolled their eyes. "Anyway, you need to get outside and help. I have no idea where Cody is. He vanished half an hour ago, and no one has seen him since."

"Cody's here?" Becky asked as if she was unsure how she felt about that.

"He's my best man," Nick told her. "Or I should say best cat? Best friend? Either way, he's here and going to be in the ceremony."

"Don't worry about anything," Lisa told her. "We took the liberty of inviting quite a few guests."

"Your parents. My parents. Our friends. A lot of people came," Nick told her.

"Well, I guess I can't keep them waiting," Becky said without flinching.

Lisa was surprised by how well the other woman was handling the situation. She figured after so many years of uncertainty and waiting, she was ready for just about anything. That was exactly what she was going to get.

"Let's go. You still need to see your dress," Lisa said and grabbed Becky's arm. Together they walked down to one of the larger rooms where an entire staff of hair and makeup stylists were waiting.

It was a blur of powders, sprays, and yelling after that. Lisa was groomed to perfection before putting on her bridesmaid's dress, a simple teal gown. Becky's friends were there with them since they were also going to be a part of the ceremony. Lisa was impressed by Nick's knowledge of the wedding planning they had done before the curse. One of the first things, they did was have Cody come over with a copy of the notebook Nick kept at the cabin. After that, it was a long series of phone calls and planning with a lot of help from Keene who was paying for the whole thing.

It was the least he could do for all Nick's hard work with the book which was already sent to the editor and for his work saving them all. She was thankful for what he was doing. He had changed a lot over the years.

After they were all ready, Lisa led the procession down the aisle. Flowers in hand, she walked beside Cody, who she had gotten to know quite well over the last few weeks. He was dressed in a tux as well but without the pants. In fact, all the animals there at the ceremony were pantsless which Lisa would have no other way. Of course, there was one exception. Kitsune was seated in the front row in his fox form. He was wearing a full suit and tie as per Lisa's recommendation. She smiled at him as she took her place and he winked back. Next to him were Nick's parents who looked overjoyed at the thought that their son was not only human again but finally getting married.

The next few rows were filled with the pets from the neighborhood. They wanted to come as their usual semi-naked selves like at King's wedding, but Lisa put her foot down. She admitted they cleaned up nicely. Peanut struggled with is tie and Grape slapped his paw away. Tarot and Sabrina were whispering to one another while Max was talking with Rockstar who was sitting with the rest of the wolves in the row behind them. The rest of the rows were filled with Rowan's family and friends. Most of which was unsure of why the wedding was full of animals. Nick's curse was a closely regarded secret, and everyone agreed it should remain that way.

The music changed, and everyone stood up. Becky walked down the aisle with her long dress flowing behind her. As she walked, light snow began to fall from the sky mixing with the already snow-covered lawn of the Milton's residence. Lisa could not help but smile at Nick who was watching the love of his life walk towards them.

When Becky reached the altar, all eyes were on who was doing the ceremony. Keene stood before them in his suit and tie and cleared his throat. Lisa couldn't help feel uncertain about having him perform the ceremony, but he insisted on doing it as part of the agreement that he would pay for everything and host the wedding at the mansion.

After the vows were said and the rings exchanged, Keene said, "You may kiss the bride."

Nick and Becky kissed, having finally accomplished what they had wanted to do for so long. As Lisa stood there, she felt a sharp pain in her heart as she felt part of herself was missing.

After the ceremony was finished and the reception was underway, Lisa found herself on the dance floor with her arms wrapped around Kitsune's chest. All eyes were on the happy couple swaying back and forth across the stage as Taylor Swift played over the speakers.  
Lisa laid her head on Kitsune's shoulder and relaxed. She had not felt so happy or at peace in a long time. Kitsune's arms were wrapped around her as he led her around.

"Lisa, with everything that has been going on I haven't had a chance to ask," Kitsune said. He pulled away from her and stared directly in her eyes. She stared back and saw he was serious about whatever he was about to ask about.

"I know things have been a bit hectic. Planning a wedding is a lot of work," Lisa told him.

"I know. I wanted to give you a bit of space after what happened at the temple. I figured a distraction like this; a happy occasion was just what you needed." Kitsune's mouth hardened like whatever he was about to say was difficult. "This must have been hard for you. These last few weeks and I wanted to make sure you're doing alright."

Lisa sighed. She appreciated that Kitsune was worried about her. She loved him for caring so much about her well-being. "I'm doing fine. I mean it was hard to wrap my head around at first. But this is for the best." She turned to Nick and Becky who were exchanging yet another kiss. "I'm going to miss, Nick. He is still my friend but not having him so close is going to take some getting used to. Even if we haven't known each other for that long, it feels longer somehow."

Kitsune gave her a concerned look. "I wasn't referring to Nick," he said. "How are you doing with Rowan's death?"

Lisa cocked her head to the side and chuckled slightly. Her eyes glazed over, and she asked, "Who's Rowan?"

**End Book 2**


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